Large-billed Lark vs Malabar Lark

Large-billed Lark

Galerida magnirostris

Small42 gGrassland

The large-billed lark is 18 cm in length. It is relatively short-tailed and has a thick bill with a yellow base to the lower mandible. It has streaked brown-grey upperparts, and a long white supercilium. Like other species in the genus, it has a crest that can be raised in display or alarm. The underparts are cream-coloured with heavy dark streaking on the breast. The heavy bi-coloured bill distinguishes this species from all other African larks. The call of this very vocal species is a soft creaking "treeeeleeeeleee".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: i_c_riddell · CC BY 4.0

Malabar Lark

Galerida malabarica

Small38 gGrassland

This is a smallish lark, slightly smaller than the Eurasian skylark. It has a long spiky erectile crest. It is greyer than the skylark, and lacks the white wing and tail edges of that species, which is a winter visitor to India. It is very similar to the crested lark, which breeds in northern India. The Malabar lark is smaller and dark-streaked reddish brown in plumage, whereas the crested lark is grey. The belly is white. The sexes are similar.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Paulmathi Vinod · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Large-billed Lark and Malabar Lark.