- Eremophila alpestris
Identification
Photo taken: Fisherville, Ontario, Canada Also known as Shore Lark. Horned Lark (enthymia) Breeding Male: Medium-sized lark with pale or dark brown upperparts and white underparts. Face and throat are white and mask, cap, and ear tufts are black. Tail is dark with white edges. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has white-spotted brown upperparts, head and face, white eyebrow, no ear tufts, and white underparts with faintly spotted breast.
Distribution
Horned Lark (enthymia) Breeding Male: Breeds in Alaska and Canadian Arctic, coastal Canada, and south throughout all of the U.S. except southeast. Spends winters from southern Canada southward; also found in Eurasia.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Preferred habitats include plains, fields, airports, and beaches
Behaviour
Although adult Horned Larks eat primarily weed and grass seeds, they feed insects to their young. They are early nesters with nests found in February even in he northern states. These birds return to their birthplace after every migration (a characteristic known as philopatric). Because of this, local populations have adapted to the color of their habitat resulting in 15 distinct subspecies in the West.
External Links
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Eremophila alpestris (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
