wildlife fact file - birds - pgs. 311-315
DESCRIPTION
Reed Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Red Junglefowl, European Roller, Horned LarkTRANSCRIPT
"' CARD 311 I REED WARBLER V GROUP 2: BIRDS ,~------------------------------------------~
ORDER Passeriformes
FAMILY Sylviidae
GENUS &: SPECIES Acrocephalus scirpaceus
The reed warbler is a small, shy bird that looks so much like the marsh warbler it usually takes an expert to tell them apart. The two species are most easily distinguished by their song.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: 4 l1-5 in .
Weight: y'-l1 oz.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 year.
Breeding season: Begins in mid
April or in mid-June, depending on
the bird's location.
No. of broods: 1-2.
Eggs: 3-5, usually 4.
Incubation: 11-12 days.
Fledging period: 10-14 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Shy and secretive.
Diet: Aquatic insects and larvae.
Call: Harsh "churr-churr" inter
spersed with trills.
Lifespan: Up to 12 years.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 27 species in the genus
Acrocephalus, including the similar
marsh warbler, A. palustris, and the
sedge warbler, A. schoenobaenus.
Breeding range of the reed warbler. Winter range.
DISTRIBUTION
The reed warbler breeds in Europe from Scandinavia in the north
eastward to Kazakhstan. It winters in tropical Africa .
CONSERVATION
The reed warbler is still locally common in many places. How
ever, the drainage of land for development is steadily reducing
this bird's habitat.
FEATURES OF THE REED WARBLER
Plumage: Varies, depending on the season and the bi rd 's age. Generally brown above and buff below. Legs are dark. Sexes are similar.
Feet: Dark brown , with long , hooked claws for curling around reed stems.
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Head: Rounded , with a whitish
throat. Slightly longer bill than
that of the marsh
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Eggs: 3 to 5. Glossy, pale green with darker spots.
Young: Born featherless. The early
plumage has more yellow than the adult's . Bright yellow mouth.
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The reed warbler is a summer visitor to Europe, where it nests
among reeds and other water plants. This bird migrates to
Africa for the winter. There it molts its feathers before making
the long return flight to breed in Europe. During one part of
this journey, while still in Africa, the reed warbler may cover
as much as 620 miles within a period of only four days.
~ HABITAT The reed warbler is found mostly in marshes or on the edges of ponds and lakes. It lives among reeds, bulrushes, sedges, and other plants with their roots in water. These plants form dense clumps that are difficult to penetrate. As a result, they help to protect the bird from a num-
~ MIGRATION The first reed warblers start to migrate south in late August and early September. By then, the young can fly well enough to survive the arduous 5,000-mile journey from the European breeding grounds to Africa.
The birds fly over the northern coast of Africa and eventu-
ber of its land-based predators. In some parts of Europe, the
reed warbler has become accustomed to humans and builds its nest on farmland. However, this is relatively unusual.
Right: The reed warbler curls its long, hooked claws around reeds and rushes.
ally settle in tropical wetlands in the central part of the continent. There they molt, shedding their worn plumage, and find plenty of insect food.
Reed warblers gather to head north in early April. They return to the same breeding sites they left the year before.
~ FOOD & FEEDING The reed warbler eats insects that it finds among the plants where it lives. Its diet commonly includes caddisflies, stoneflies, and alderflies-which all breed near water.
This agile little bird hops from plant to plant, moving up and down the stems in search of its prey. It also hovers over the water to catch flying insects or to snatch water striders and whirli-
Left: The reed warbler uses the position of the moon to find its way when migrating at night.
DID YOU KNOW? • A cuckoo often lays an egg in the reed warbler's nest. The cuckoo egg looks like the reed warbler eggs, but it is larger. The cuckoo hatches first and pushes the warbler's eggs or chicks out of the nest. • Given its small size, the reed
gig beetles from the surface. In addition, it takes insect larvae that crawl up from the water onto reed stems.
In late summer and early fall, the reed warbler feeds on ripe berries and large quantities of reed aphids. In this way, it builds up a store of fat to sustain it on its flight to Africa. The dwindling supply of insects signals the bird that it is time to migrate.
Right: An inquisitive bird, the reed warbler investigates the slightest rustlings among the reeds.
warbler has a long lifespanup to 12 years. • No other European warbler makes a nest as intricate as the reed warbler's. A pair dismantles its old nest to furnish a new one and may even steal materials from other birds' nests.
~I BIRDWATCH The reed warbler is not easy to spot because it spends a great deal of its time hidden among dense clumps of wetland plants. This bird is much easier to identify by its song. It trills and chirrups while it
~ BREEDING The reed warbler begins breeding in mid-April in the south of its range and in mid-June farther north. Both the male and female build the nest. After gathering grass, reeds, flowers, and leaves, they weave these around rooted stems. When finished, the nest is deep and cylindrical, lined with
feeds, both by day and night. Song is also one of the few
ways to distinguish the reed warbler from the rarer marsh warbler. The song of the latter is louder and more musical than the reed warbler's .
grass, roots, wool, or feathers. Although in warmer regions
the female may lay two clutches, in cooler areas she only has time to lay one. The three to five eggs are pale green and glossy with dark spots. Both sexes incubate the eggs for 11 to 12 days, taking turns so that each partner can look for food.
The featherless young have bright yellow mouths, which they hold open constantly for food. Fed insects by both parents, the nestlings grow quickly. They are fully fledged at 10 to 14 days old.
Left: The nest is very deep to prevent the eggs or young from being swept out in strong winds ..
'" CARD 312 1
NORTHERN WHEATEAR " G ROUP 2: BIRDS ,,~----------------------------------------~ ". ORDER ". FAMILY ". GENUS &; SPECIES ~ Posseriformes ~ Turdidoe ~ Oenonthe oenonthe
The northern wheatear is one of Europe ~ earliest spring migrants. Flying in from its winter quarters in Africa or Iraq, it sometimes
reaches the Mediterranean coast by early February.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: 5~-6 in .
Wingspan: 10-13 in.
Weight: ~-1 oz.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 year.
Breeding season: April to August.
No. of broods: Often 2 in lowland
areas. Usually 1 in uplands.
Eggs: Usually 5-6, pale blue.
Incubation: 2 weeks.
Fledging period: About 2 weeks.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary; migratory.
Diet: Mainly small invertebrates;
also berries and seeds.
Lifespan: Oldest banded bird,
7 years.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 18 species of wheatear in
North America, Eurasia, and Africa.
These include the pied wheatear,
Oenonthe pica to, and the desert
wheatear, O. deserti.
Range of the northern wheatear.
DISTRIBUTION
Breeds in Europe, Asia, Greenland, northern Canada, and Alas
ka. Winters in Africa and Iraq.
CONSERVATION
The northern wheatear is not under any great threat. But it is
declining widely as its upland habitats are increasingly used for
public recreation and conifer planting.
I FEATURES OF THE NORTHERN WHEATEAR
Female: Same plumage yearround. Brown back and wings, creamy white underparts. White rump like male's.
Tail: Dark tip and central plumes form upside-down T mark that is visible when fanned.
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Male: Black wings and tail. In summer, medium blue back and creamy underparts with rich buff breast. In winter, resembles the female with brown upperparts and creamy white breast.
Bill: Black. Thin and sharp, ideal
for pecking at seeds and small
invertebrates.
Eggs: Pale blue. 5 or 6 per clutch, laid in a nest of grass, hair,
and feathers.
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The northern wheatear spends most of its time on or near
the ground in open country. This lively little bird is always
on the move, flitting between low perches such as boulders
and shrubs. A typical bird of the uplands, the northern
wheatear nests among the rocks and chases insects and
other small invertebrates across the windswept turf.
~ HABITAT The northern wheatear nests in Greenland, Canada, and Alaska, as well as in Europe and Asia . It prefers open habitats with low vegetation. But it can also be found from the stony slopes of high mountains to the sparsely vegetated Arctic coastal tundra.
One place where the wheatear has suffered habitat loss is Great Britain. There the bird often nested on lowlands, such as chalk downs, where the grass was kept short by grazing animals. But grazing in these areas has declined, and the land has been cultivated or overgrown with scrub. As a result, there are only a few lowland sites where British birds can nest today.
~ BREEDING The northern wheatear arrives at its European breeding grounds as early as February, before most other migrants. The male establishes and defends a breeding site. He attracts females by hopping, bowing, and gently warbling. The birds often pair up with the same mate each year.
In much of northern Europe, the wheatear nests in holes in roadside walls. At times it nests
Left: A hole in a stone wall makes a snug, safe nesting site for the northern wheatear.
DID YOU KNOW • After they leave Greenland, migrating northern wheatears fly directly to Spain, covering a distance of over 1,850 miles. • The name of the wheatear has nothing to do with ears or wheat. It comes from the Old English for "white taiL"
among boulders on high, exposed sites or in an abandoned rabbit burrow in lowlands.
The female builds the grassy nest, lining it with feathers and hair. She lays five or six eggs, usually in May, and does most of the incubation. The chicks hatch in two weeks and fledge two weeks later. By late August, most northern European birds have begun migrating south.
Right: On lowland moors the northern wheatear may be able to raise two broods before migrating.
• Wheatears in Dungeness on the southern coast of England use old sheets of corrugated iron as nest sites. • At one time shepherds on British chalk downs trapped large numbers of northern wheatears to sell for food.
~ BIRDWATCH The northern wheatear's most distinctive feature is its white rump with the dark T-shaped mark on the tail. This is clearly visible when the tail is fanned or the bird takes flight.
Europe has two forms of
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The northern wheatear feeds primarily on invertebrates such as caterpillars, beetles, flies, earwigs, grasshoppers, centipedes, spiders, and snails. In addition, the wheatear eats some grass seeds as well as small fruits such
Left: The northern wheatear may perch on a low shrub or boulder and then dart out in pursuit of prey.
~ MIGRATION Many European species leave for Africa after they breed. But the northern wheatear is distinctive because birds from all parts of the range, including Canada and Greenland, cross huge distances to winter in Africa or Iraq.
Wheatears from Greenland
northern wheatear-the Eurasian and Greenland races. The latter is larger and more richly colored than the Eurasian race. It also has longer wings to sustain its lengthy migration flights.
as blackberries and bilberries. When foraging, the bird runs
or hops over low ground cover, pausing periodically to pick up food or scan the area ahead. It also flutters and hovers over one spot, rather like a kestrel. It probably does this in order to get a good view of the ground when the grass is especially long.
and Canada head southeast to Europe and then on to Africa. Alaskan populations cross the Bering Strait and then fly over Asia and Europe before arriving at their wintering grounds.
The birds fly mainly at night, usually alone or in small groups.
RED JUNGLEFOWL
ORDER Galliformes
CLASS Phasianidoe
GROUP 2: BIRDS
GENUS &: SPECIES Gallus gallus
The red junglefowl lives in the forests of India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. It looks like a farmyard chicken and is believed
to be the ancestor of the world ~ domestic poultry.
__ Sl~K_E_Y __ F_A_C_T_S _____ ~ _________ -J
SIZES
Length: Male, 2-2~ ft. Female,
1 ~ ft. Weight: Male, 1 ~-2 lb. Female,
1-1 ~ lb.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 year.
Breeding season: March to May
in most areas.
Eggs: 5-6, pale buff to pale red
dish brown.
Incubation: 18-20 days.
Fledging period: 12 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Active in daytime. Roosts
in small groups in trees. Male de
fends the breeding territory.
Diet: Seeds and fruits, as well as in
sects and other invertebrates.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 3 other species of jungle
fowl, all of them found in southern
or southeastern Asia.
Range of the red junglefowl.
DISTRIBUTION
Inhabits southeastern Asia from northeastern Pakistan and India
north to the lower Himalayas and east through Myanmar (Bur
ma) to the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Bali.
CONSERVATION
The red junglefowl has adapted to thrive near humans. Despite
many centuries of being hunted, it survives in good numbers.
FEATURES OF THE RED JUNGLEFOWL
Hackles: Erected in display during breeding season .
Male: Russet-gold upper plumage with deep green and reddish underparts. Long green tail feathers .
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Female: Buff upperparts, russet underparts. "Cape" of yellow and black feathers around neck. Smaller
than the male and lacking his long tail feathers.
A sharp claw at the back of each leg is used to fight rivals. Fights are usually ritualized , so serious injury is avoided.
0160200951 PACKET 95
The red junglefowl is a small pheasant that makes its home
in tropical and subtropical forests. Its appearance is very
similar to that of its descendants, the farmyard chickens.
The red junglefowl also has many habits in common with
domestic chickens, including the practice of scratching
around on the ground for food, the pecking order within
flocks, and the early morning crowing of the cock.
~ HABITS The red junglefowl is most of
ten found in forests with heavy
undergrowth or stands of bam
boo. When searching for food,
it may venture into scrubland,
clearings, and cultivated areas
such as rice paddies.
Like domestic poultry, the red
junglefowl takes dust baths, roil
ing on the ground and flutter
ing its wings to work soil and
sand into its feathers. This helps
condition its plumage and re
move parasites from its skin.
The red junglefowl generally
forages from dawn until mid
morning. It rests in the shade
during the hottest part of the
day and resumes feeding from
midafternoon until dusk. Then
it flies into a tree to roost, usual
ly in small groups of about five
individuals. But up to 30 birds
have been seen perched on a
bamboo stem .
Right: A dust bath helps to keep the red junglefowl healthy by removing parasites.
~ BREEDING The red junglefowl breeds in late
winter or spring. The male per
forms various displays to chal
lenge rivals, claim a territory, or
attract females. He lowers one
wing while circling a female. He
then flaps his wings, erects the
hackles (long feathers) on his
neck, and shakes his head.
The male also crows loudly, es
pecially in the morning, to pro
claim his territory and assert his
position in the flock. During the
breeding period, the male crows
slightly earlier every morning.
Subtle differences between the
Left: The cock crows to stake out a territorYt warn off rivals, and attract a mate.
DID YOU KNOW? • The world's most abundant
birds, domestic chickens, are
descendants of the red jungle
fowl. There are over eight bil
lion chickens, outnumbering
humans by about two to one.
• In many myths in India, the male junglefowl brings two
lovers together.
• Domesticated junglefowl,
"cock-a-doodle-doo" calls of
males may help rivals to identi
fy one another.
"Tidbitting"- pecking at a bit
of food or other object on the
ground- is a form of sexual dis
play used by the male. It is also
used by the female to attract
her chicks to food and strength
en her bond with them.
The female builds a nest on
the ground in dense cover and
incubates the eggs alone. The
hatchlings can run around with
in a few hours and follow their
mother from the nest site.
Right: The chicks remain close to their mother until they are able to fly from danger.
like other domesticated birds
such as ducks and geese, do
not lay a fixed number of eggs
in one season. Instead, they
replace any eggs that are re
moved. Selective breeding has
produced hens that lay eggs
almost daily, and there is a rec
ord of one hen that laid 371
eggs in one year.
~ RED JUNGLEFOWL &: MAN Humans domesticated the red its role in religion and its use in
junglefowl in India in 3200 B.C. cock fighting, not because of
It was domesticated in Egypt by its meat and eggs. The Romans
1500 B.C. and in China by 1400 had a poultry industry, but there
B.C. Afterward, it spread to Eu
rope and may have reached the
Americas from Asia by way of
Ecuador's and Peru's coasts.
The domesticated junglefowl
became widespread because of
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The red junglefowl eats leaves,
shoots, petals, nuts, fruits, ber
ries, and over 30 kinds of seeds.
Its diet includes bamboo seeds
and shoots plus such crops as
rice, corn, beans, and tapioca. It
also feeds on a variety of inver
tebrates, including beetles, ter
mites, ants, flies, spiders, snails,
and millipedes. In the dry sea
son, it visits water holes both
morning and evening.
The red junglefowl generally
goes out alone to scratch in the
was no subsequent large-scale
industry until the 19th century.
Settlers have introduced wild
red junglefowl into such coun
tries as Australia, New Zealand,
and South Africa.
leaf debris for food. But flocks
of up to 50 may gather to feed.
The flock has a "pecking order"
in which dominant birds have
access to the best feeding sites.
The junglefowl swallows grit
to help break up seeds and oth
er tough food in its thick-walled
gizzard-the muscular part of
a bird's stomach. In Myanmar
(formerly Burma), in areas where
gems are mined, sapphires and
rubies have been found in jun
glefowl gizzards.
'" CARD 314 I EUROPEAN ROLLER
~--------------------------~~~~~~ .. ORDER
"11IIIIIIII Coraciiformes FAMILY Coraciidae
GENUS &: SPECIES Coracias garrulus
The European roller gets its name from the rolling and tumbling display flights with which it defends its territory and attracts a mate. During these displays, the bird utters loud, raucous cries.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: 12-13 in.
Wingspan: 2-2~ ft . Weight: 4-6 oz.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1-2 years.
Breeding season: May to August.
No. of broods: 1.
Eggs: 3-5, glossy white.
Incubation: 17-19 days.
Fledging period: About 4 weeks.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Mostly solitary, except in
the early stages of migration.
Diet: Mainly insects; occasionally
snails, earthworms, lizards, frogs,
and other small animals.
Breeding range of the European roller. Winter range.
DISTRIBUTION
Call: A wide variety of harsh, crow
like or chattering calls.
The European roller breeds in the countries that border the
Mediterranean as well as in parts of eastern Europe and west
ern Asia. Populations winter in Africa, mainly in the east.
Lifespan: 9 years or more. CONSERVATION RELATED SPECIES
There are 8 other species in the
genus Coracias-all found in the
Old World .
The European roller has declined in number in the northwest
ern parts of its range.
FEATURES OF THE EUROPEAN ROLLER
Bill: Slightly dqwnwardcurving to help catch insects.
Flight: The roller gets its mIme from the way in which the male rolls over in flight to attract a female.
Eggs: White, smooth , and
glossy. 3 to 5 generally laid
in a tree hole or abandoned nest.
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Plumage: Mainly bright blue-green with a chestnut back and black
primary wing feathers. Long tail feathers fan out in flight.
0160200951 PACKET 95
The European roller is a conspicuous bird, with its beautiful
blue-green and chestnut plumage flashing in the sun. This
bird often stations itself on a prominent perch such as a
dead branch or a telephone wire and watches for prey.
Then it swoops down to snatch insects and other small
animals on the ground. The European roller also hunts
prey in midair., descending on swarms of flying insects.
~ HABITS The European roller spends most of its time on its favorite perch, scanning the ground for prey. Its short legs make it clumsy on land, and it moves only short distances, hopping awkwardly. However, it is a strong, aerobatic flier, with long, broad wings.
During the breeding season, the roller is found in open oak woods and pinewoods containing old, hollow trees with holes for nesting . It also inhabits thickets, parks, and tree-lined riverbanks. In Turkestan, which is in the southwestern part of the former Soviet Union, this bird frequents steppes, semideserts, and even barren deserts.
~ FOOD & FEEDING The European roller eats mainly insects, especially large beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers. On occasion, however, it also feeds on other small animals. These include centipedes, slugs, spiders, earthworms, snails, frogs, and small lizards.
The bird often hunts from a perch up to 16 feet above the ground. It glides down to seize prey in its strong bill and then Left: The European roller is similar in build to a jackdaw, with a slightly down-curved bill.
DID YOU KNOW? • The European roller eats certain insects that have an especially foul taste. These include various beetles, glowworms, goat moth caterpillars, and some poisonous centipedes. • The name of the European roller's species comes from the Latin word garrulu5, meaning "talkative." It refers to a roller
ascends to a nearby perch. It beats large insects to kill them and make them easier to eat. Or it may toss prey in the air and catch it again in its bill.
The European roller also feeds in midair-especially in Africa, where it often preys on swarms of flying termites and ants. In dry areas where grass fires occur, it eats the charred remains of insects and other animals. Right: The European roller prefers to nest in an existing tree hole or abandoned nest.
pair's habit of "talking" to one another with frequent calls. • The European roller aggressively defends its eggs as well as its young, attacking crows and even birds of prey. • The European roller is a relative of two other spectacular birds: the European kingfisher and the hoopoe.
The European roller is highly territorial. In the breeding season the male performs various displays to claim a breeding area and attract a mate. In one mating ritual, two or more birds face one another on a branch. With tails fanned and wings drooped, they bow deeply, utter hoarse cries, and then wipe their bills against the perch.
The best-known ritual is a dramatic aerial display, usually performed by a male. Flying slowly and steeply upward, he makes a series of harsh calls. Then he
left: The male and the female look alike. It is the male that displays to attract a mate.
almost stalls before tipping forward and diving in a sharp descent while flapping his wings, tilting his body from side to side, and making rattling calls.
The roller usually nests in a tree hole or abandoned nest, but it sometimes uses a grass bank, cliff burrow, or crevice in an abandoned building. A pair may use the same nest site for several years.
Altho·ugh both sexes incubate the eggs, the female spends the most time, sitting on the eggs all night and much of the day for nearly three weeks. Both parents rear the chicks. However, the male catches most of the food .
HORNED LARK ,,-ORDER Passeriformes
FAMILY Alaudidae
GROUP 2: BIRDS GENUS &: SPECIES Eremophila alpestris
The horned lark is a widespread bird in North America, where it often nests in barren regions. An early breeder, it sometimes
incubates its eggs while there is still snow on the ground.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: 7-8 in.
Wingspan: 12-14 in.
Weight: 1-1 ~ oz.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 year.
Breeding season: February to July.
No. of broods: 1-2.
Eggs: 4, speckled with brown.
Incubation: 10-14 days.
Fledging period: 16-18 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Sociable outside the breed
ing season.
Diet: Seeds, fruit, and insects.
Call: Shrill, rippling song is a com
plex series of tinkling notes uttered
in flight or at times from a perch
on the ground.
Lifespan: Unknown.
RELATED SPECIES
There are about 80 species in the
lark family Alaudidae.
Resident range of Winter the horned lark. range.
----",.".....-
DISTRIBUTION
Breeding range.
North American races breed throughout the continent. Eur
asian races breed from Scandinavia to northern Siberia and in
central Asia. Northern breeders migrate south in winter, but
southern breeders are resident. Isolated populations occur in
Morocco and Colombia.
CONSERVATION
Common in the U.S. and may be increasing in Eurasia.
r FEATURES OF THE HORNED LARK
Female
Plumage: Pinkish brown above, with paler underparts. Yellow face and throat, with black breast band and cheeks. Female lacks black "horns" and is duller than the male.
Eggs: Usually 4. Pale brown, heavily speckled with dar~ bmwA.
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"Horns": Short black feathers on the sides of the male's crown.
Bill: Slender, for eating seeds, insects, and fruit.
Male
0160200941 PACKET 94
In North America, the horned lark nests in many
different kinds of habitats. This bird can be found not
only in open pastures, cultivated fields, prairies, and
rocky ridges but also in deserts and on shores. In Europe
and Asia, however, where this species is known as the
shore lark, the bird nests only in the treeless tundra
of the far north and on high mountain slopes.
~ CHARACTERISTICS About the size of a thrush, the
horned lark is a typical bird of
open country. Mostly pinkish
brown above, it is paler below
and has a boldly patterned black
and yellow head. Black feathers
on the male's head taper into a
pair of tiny "horns," giving the
bird its American name.
Although the bird is called the
shore lark in Europe, it is usually
found on Eurasian beaches, salt
marshes, and sand dunes only
in winter. In the breeding sea
son it nests in Arctic tundra and
on high mountain slopes.
In North America the absence
of other lark species enables the
bird to colonize a wide range of
open habitats, including farm
fields, prairies, deserts, and air
ports. In contrast to the patchy
distribution of the 14 Eurasian
subspecies, the 27 North Amer
ican subspecies are common
throughout the range.
~ BREEDING In migratory populations, the
male horned lark usually reaches
the breeding grounds before the
female and immediately begins
to defend a territory. Competing
males lower their heads, raise
their black "horns," hunch their
backs, and droop their wings. A
male may also sing from a perch
to claim a territory.
On a female's arrival, the male
frequently courts her by strutting
around her with "horns" erect
and offering her food. Climbing
to heights of up to 900 feet, he
may then perform song flights,
gliding to the ground as he ut-
Left: Over its enormous range, the horned lark has evolved 41 different subspecies.
DID YOU KNOW? • In North America the differ-
ent local names for the horned
lark include the road chippie,
road trotter,spring bird, and
wheat bird. In England the
bird is also called the sea lark,
snowbird, and snowflake.
• High in the Himalayas, the
horned lark can be found at
elevations up to 17;500 feet,
ters his tinkling, warbling song.
The female constructs a cup
shaped nest of grasses and hair
in a natural hollow. Or she may
scrape out a hollow with her bill
and feet. She usually chooses a
site sheltered by grass or a rock
so that the entrance faces away
from the wind and sun.
The female lays four eggs at a
rate of one a day. She incubates
them alone, but her mate may
feed her. The young hatch with
in two weeks and are fed mostly
insects by the female. Like other
larks, the young leave the nest
about a week before they can fly.
Right: The female usually hatches four chicks, which are fledged in 16 to 18 days.
on the edge of the snow line.
• Between the 1950s and the
1970s, the numbers of horned
larks that visited Great Britain's
coasts in fall and winter great
ly increased, but the numbers
then dropped off. At the peak
about 1,500 birds were seen
annually, but now only about
100 appear each year.
~I BIRDWATCH The horned lark is identifiable
by its flight. It nearly closes its
wings between each beat, so
its outline alternates between
a slim shape and a cross. The
bold black-and-yellow pattern
of its face is also distinctive, as
is its clear call.
~ FOOD & FEEDING During the winter, the horned
lark feeds on the ground, eating
mostly seeds and fruits. Close to
the shore it feeds in flocks at low
tide on the seeds of glasswort, a
salt-marsh plant. At high tide it
often moves to dunes, where it
finds a variety of seeds. It may
move a short distance inland to
feed on waste grain, grass seeds,
Left: In summer the horned lark supplements its diet of seeds and fruit with insects.
Wintering horned larks trav
el in flocks, frequently forag
ing with snow buntings and
longspurs on barren fields, at
airports, and even on parking
lots where a few weeds have
managed to grow in cracks in
the pavement.
and weed seeds on farm fields
and pasture. Although a flock
may have favorite feeding areas,
the birds frequently forage along
long stretches of coastline.
In the spring and summer, the
horned lark supplements its diet
with shoots and buds as well as
insects such as crane flies, ants,
midges, and beetles. It also eats
other invertebrates, including
earthworms, spiders, and small
mollusk species.