About the Greater Short-toed Lark
The greater short-toed lark is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, Calandrella, is a diminutive of kalandros, the calandra lark, and brachydactila is from brakhus, "short", and daktulos, "toe".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Several subspecies have been named but there is considerable geneflow and the species itself forms part of a larger complex. This is a small pale lark, smaller than the skylark. It is dark-streaked greyish-brown above, and white below, and has a strong pointed bill that is pinkish with a grey culmen. It has a pale supercilium, dark patches on each side of its neck and a dark tail. Some birds in the west of the range have a rufous crown. The sexes are similar. The greater short-toed lark is paler than the Mongolian short-toed lark which also has a shorter bill.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Greater Short-toed Lark sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Taiwan, Czechia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Turkmenistan, Eritrea, Estonia.
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Red-capped LarkCalandrella cinereaThe red-capped lark is 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) in length, with a typically upright stance.
Hume's Short-toed LarkCalandrella acutirostrisHume's short-toed lark is similar in size and appearance to the greater short-toed lark but is generally a duller-looking bird with slightly darker plumage and a slightly smaller beak.
Blanford's LarkCalandrella blanfordiBlanford's lark is 14–15 centimetres long.
Learn the Greater Short-toed Lark for real
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