Bimaculated Lark

Melanocorypha bimaculata

Larks · Passeriformes · Rare

The Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata) is a rare lark found in 31 countries, weighing about 54 g. The bimaculated lark breeds in warm temperate countries eastwards from Turkey into Central Asia.

Least ConcernRareEats invertebratesgrasslandcup nest54 g

About the Bimaculated Lark

The bimaculated lark breeds in warm temperate countries eastwards from Turkey into Central Asia. It is the eastern counterpart of its relative, the calandra lark.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

This is a large, robust lark, 16–18 cm in length. It is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly streaked grey above and white below, and with two small black patches on the breast sides, which give this species its name. It has a white supercilium. In flight it shows short broad wings, which are grey-brown below, and a short tail with a white tip, but not white edges. The wing and tail patterns are distinctions from its more westerly relative. The song is like a harder version of that of calandra lark.

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Denmark, Lebanon, Yemen.

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November, December, with peak activity in May. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Bimaculated Lark?
This is a large, robust lark, 16–18 cm in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Bimaculated Lark?
The Bimaculated Lark is a small sized bird weighing about 54 g.
Where can you see a Bimaculated Lark?
The Bimaculated Lark occurs in 31 countries, including India, Türkiye, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan.
What birds look similar to a Bimaculated Lark?
The Bimaculated Lark is most easily confused with the Mongolian Lark, the Tibetan Lark and the Black Lark.
Is the Bimaculated Lark endangered?
The Bimaculated Lark is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Bimaculated Lark for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.