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Crested Lark

Galerida cristata

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernOmnivoreGrasslandDomed nestSmall · 43 g
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 1
Photo: (c) Koshy Koshy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 2
Photo: Дмитрий Еременко · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 3
Photo: lalaia · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 4
Photo: Julien Fougeroux · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 5
Photo: Антон Лабачоў · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 6
Photo: Edmund Johansen · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 7
Photo: Ken Gøran Uglebakken · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 8
Photo: Per Andersen · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 9
Photo: Anton Thøger Larsen · CC BY 4.0
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), photo 10
Photo: Anton Thøger Larsen · CC BY 4.0

What the Crested Lark sounds like

Sonogram of the Crested Lark: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Philippe_Grange · Song · Arrondissement de Béziers (near Agel), Hérault, Occitanie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Crested Lark: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Vasileia Seferiadou · Uncertain · Thessaloniki (near Epanomi), Central Macedonia, Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, Greece · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

A fairly small lark, the crested lark is roughly the same size as a Eurasian skylark, but shorter overall and bulkier around the head and body, and very similar in appearance, with a height of 17 cm (6.7 in) and a wingspan of 29 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in), weighing between 37 and 55 g (1.3 and 1.9 oz). It is a small, brown bird which has a short tail with light brown outer feathers. Male and females have no real differences, but young crested larks have more spots on their back than their older counterparts. Its plumage is downy but sparse and appears whitish.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Crested Lark

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Crested Lark

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 83 countries with regular records, and 7 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Spain Portugal Israel France Türkiye Greece United Arab Emirates India Iran Cyprus Morocco Bulgaria Italy Sweden Palestinian Territories Kuwait Oman Saudi Arabia Hungary Belgium Senegal Germany Ukraine Georgia Jordan Nigeria Iraq Poland Azerbaijan Qatar Romania Croatia Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Tunisia Egypt China Serbia Austria Slovakia Russia Pakistan Czechia Moldova North Macedonia Albania Armenia Mongolia Bahrain Gambia Algeria Denmark Slovenia Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Afghanistan Netherlands Montenegro Mauritania Belarus Norway Kenya Libya Syria Yemen Djibouti Sudan Turkmenistan Bosnia & Herzegovina Cameroon Chad Nepal Mali Kosovo Niger Latvia Guinea-Bissau South Korea Eritrea Estonia Lithuania Switzerland

Recorded as a rare visitor in Finland, United Kingdom, Guinea, Andorra, Gibraltar, Burkina Faso, Somalia.

About the Crested Lark

The crested lark is a species of lark widespread across Eurasia and northern Africa. It is a non-migratory bird, but can occasionally be found as a vagrant in Great Britain.

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

Easily confused with

Thekla's Lark (Galerida theklae) Thekla's LarkGalerida theklaeThis is a smallish lark, slightly smaller than the Eurasian skylark. Large-billed Lark (Galerida magnirostris) Large-billed LarkGalerida magnirostrisThe large-billed lark is 18 cm in length. Malabar Lark (Galerida malabarica) Malabar LarkGalerida malabaricaThis is a smallish lark, slightly smaller than the Eurasian skylark.

Side by side: Crested Lark vs Woodlark · Crested Lark vs Thekla's Lark · Crested Lark vs Large-billed Lark · Crested Lark vs Malabar Lark

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