Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernOmnivoreGrasslandCup nestSmall · 37 g

What the Eurasian Skylark sounds like

Sonogram of the Eurasian Skylark: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Noé Ferrari · Call, flight call · Arrondissement d'Abbeville (near Quend), Somme, Hauts-de-France, France · CC BY 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Eurasian Skylark: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Alarm call, flight call · Cabane Vauban (Carolles), Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Eurasian Skylark: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Cabane Vauban (Carolles), Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The Eurasian skylark is 18–19 cm (7.1–7.5 in) in length. Like most other larks, the Eurasian skylark is a rather dull-looking species, being mainly brown above and paler below. It has a short blunt crest on the head, which can be raised and lowered. In flight it shows a short tail and short broad wings. The tail and the rear edge of the wings are edged with white, which are visible when the bird is flying away, but not if it is heading towards the observer. The male has broader wings than the female.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Eurasian Skylark

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Eurasian Skylark

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 90 countries with regular records, and 2 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.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Turkmenistan, Gibraltar.

About the Eurasian Skylark

The Eurasian skylark, commonly referred to in Europe as the lark, is a passerine bird in the lark family, Alaudidae. It is a widespread species found across Europe and the Palearctic with introduced populations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and on the Hawaiian Islands. It is a bird of open farmland and heath, known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of 50 to 100 metres. The sexes are alike. It is streaked greyish-brown above and on the breast and has a buff-white belly.

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

Easily confused with

Side by side: Eurasian Skylark vs Oriental Skylark

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