- Lullula arborea
Identification
15 cm (6 in)
- Brown upperparts
- Pale underparts
- White supercilium meeting on the nape
- Crest on crown (sometimes concealed)
- White-tipped tail
- Short tail
- Short broad wings
The black and white marks on the alula are a good fieldmark.
Distribution
Europe including European part of Russia, Caucasus, the Middle East, and the mountains of north Africa north of the Sahara.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized1:
- L. a. arborea:
- L. a. arborea:
- South Europe to Crimea, Caucasus, Iran and Turkmenistan
Some authorities include a third subspecies familiaris2.
Habitat
Open heath with some trees, and other open woodlands, especially those with pines and light soil.
Behaviour
Breeding
A monogamous species; they are solitary and territorial. The clutch consists of 6 eggs which are laid in a ground nest.
Diet
The diet consists of seeds and other vegetable matter during the winter months. They mostly rely on insects in the breeding season.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Wood Lark. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Wood_Lark
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
