Eremophila alpestris
The Horned Lark is a small, ground-dwelling bird with a distinctive appearance. It has a pale face with a black mask and breast band, contrasting with its brown upperparts and white underparts. The bird's namesake 'horns' are small, black feather tufts visible on the heads of male adults.
Males are more brightly colored than females, with bolder black markings and a yellow throat. Females lack the prominent ear tufts of males, and appear more sparrowlike.
Juveniles lack the black mask and have a scaly appearance on their upperparts. Winter plumage is generally duller in both sexes.
Length
16cm to 20cm
Wingspan
31cm to 35cm
Weight
28g to 40g
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
Horned Larks inhabit open areas with sparse vegetation, including prairies, tundra, deserts, and agricultural lands. They are widely distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia, with populations found from the Arctic to temperate regions.
In North America, they are year-round residents in much of the United States and southern Canada, with northern populations migrating south for winter.
In the UK, they are primarily winter visitors to coastal areas. Individual birds may frequently be spotted in migration along the Scottish coast but settle further south, particularly in coastal regions of eastern England. Norfolk has a particularly strong trend of sightings, with Holkham and Salthouse being good spots to visit.
Sea level to 5,400 meters
Temperate, Arctic, Subarctic
This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Horned Lark. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.
A few things to keep in mind:
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