Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Where is it found?
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Farmland and open habitats like grasslands and salt marsh.
Diet and foraging method
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Feeds on the ground, grazing on seeds and cereal crops on farmland or taking insects from low vegetation.
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Key adaptations
Their brown, streaky plumage provides camouflage which is particularly important as they nest on the ground.
Social organisation and mating system
Flocks
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Monogamous pairs that sometimes breed cooperatively and have helpers assisting the pair to bring up its chicks.
Did you know that...?
Skylark males have amazing stamina to be able to sing for a long time whilst flying at high altitudes to attract females.
American peace activist Elihu Burritt was so pleasured by the Skylarks song that he wrote a whole chapter on it in his book "Walk from London to John O'Groats".
American peace activist Elihu Burritt was so pleasured by the Skylarks song that he wrote a whole chapter on it in his book "Walk from London to John O'Groats".
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Alauda arvensis vogelartinfo chris romeiks CHR3563" by Vogelartinfo - Own work. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis_vogelartinfo_chris_romeiks_CHR3563.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis_vogelartinfo_chris_romeiks_CHR3563.jpg
"Alauda arvensis mouth" by Alpsdake - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis_mouth.JPG#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis_mouth.JPG
"Alauda arvensis nest 2 beentree" by I, Beentree. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis_nest_2_beentree.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis_nest_2_beentree.jpg
"Alauda Arvensis Jungvogel-1" by Deborah Genini - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_Arvensis_Jungvogel-1.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_Arvensis_Jungvogel-1.jpg
"Alauda arvensis". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis.jpg
"Alauda arvensis vogelartinfo chris romeiks CHR3563" by Vogelartinfo - Own work. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis_vogelartinfo_chris_romeiks_CHR3563.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis_vogelartinfo_chris_romeiks_CHR3563.jpg
"Alauda arvensis mouth" by Alpsdake - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis_mouth.JPG#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis_mouth.JPG
"Alauda arvensis nest 2 beentree" by I, Beentree. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis_nest_2_beentree.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis_nest_2_beentree.jpg
"Alauda Arvensis Jungvogel-1" by Deborah Genini - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_Arvensis_Jungvogel-1.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_Arvensis_Jungvogel-1.jpg
"Alauda arvensis". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alauda_arvensis.jpg#/media/File:Alauda_arvensis.jpg