This is a distinctive species in the context of British Columbia, and is likely to be confused only with the extremely small and local population of Sky Larks that occurs on southern Vancouver Island. Horned Lark is easily distinguished, however, by its contrasting face and breast pattern (fainter, but still evident, in females and immatures), unstreaked underparts, and overall less buffy and streaky plumage. Juvenile Horned Lark is more similar in plumage to Sky Lark, but is less buffy and is finely speckled with white throughout the upperparts. Other small birds of similar habitats, such as American Pipit and Lapland Longspur, are smaller than Horned Lark and differ substantially in structure, plumage, and behaviour.
| The song, which is given either from flight or from a perch, is a high-pitched, weak series of lisping chirps followed by a rapid, rising, tinkling warble: reeek trik treet tritilititi. Calls include a soft, high-pitched, single- or double-noted weet or tsee-titi and a variety of other tinkling or buzzy notes. Source: Beason (1995); Sibley (2000) | Courtship Pair formation occurs immediately after arrival on the breeding grounds in spring. During the male’s courtship display, the body is held horizontal while the wings are drooped and the tail is spread. This display is accompanied by chittering sounds while he struts back and forth in front of the female, vibrating his wings and spreading his black chest patch. The male also performs sexual chases, usually starting on the ground and often involving flight. The female sometimes engages in a courtship display to solicit copulation, during which she crouches her body, droops her wings, and vibrates her tail from side to side.
Nest Nest building typically occurs in early to late April or during May, shortly after arrival on the breeding grounds, with the initiation of nest building occurring earliest at low elevations in the southern interior and latest at high elevations or in the far north (due to persistent snow cover). The female alone chooses the nesting site (usually in an area of bare or sparsely-vegetated, dry ground) and constructs the nest, which takes 2-4 days. The nest is a small, compact cup that is situated on the ground in a shallow depression. It is constructed of fine plant material such as grass, plant stems, and rootlets, with a lining of finer material such as down, fur, fine grasses, feathers, or even string. Many nests include a collection of “pavings” such as cow dung or pebbles adjacent to the nest. The nest is 8.5-9 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm in depth and is usually situated beside or beneath some form of cover, such as a tuft of grass, dirt clod, or large rock.
Eggs A clutch of (2) 4 (7) eggs is laid between mid-April and mid-May (E.a.merrilli) or between mid-May and mid-June (E.a.arcticola), and is incubated by the female for 11-12 days before hatching. This species is double-brooded in much of its range (except in the far north), and a second clutch is often laid in mid-summer (late June to mid-July) following successful fledging of the first brood. The smooth, glossy eggs are pale greyish and are heavily and finely spotted with brownish or olive spots (often concentrated around the larger end or forming a wreath). This species is an infrequent host for Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism. Eggs are present in B.C. between mid-April and early August.
Young The young are fully altricial and downy at hatching, with brown skin and long, pale creamy-buff down on the top of the head and back. The mouth is bright orange-yellow with yellow gape flanges and three dark spots on the tongue. The nestlings remain in the nest for 8-10 (12) days after hatching, during which time they are tended by both parents. The fledglings are tended by the parents for an additional 2-3 weeks after fledging. Nestlings and dependent fledglings have been recorded in B.C. between mid-April and late August, with most present between late May and late July.
Source: Beason (1995); Baicich and Harrison (1997); Campbell et al. (2001)
| Seeds are the dominant food item consumed throughout the year, although insects and other invertebrates are prominent in the diet during spring and fall migration. During the breeding season, adults feed insects to the young but consume primarily seeds themselves. Almost all foraging occurs on the ground, usually on bare ground in in areas of sparse, short vegetation. When moving along the ground in search of food, this species uses a distinctive walking (vs. hopping) gait. Most seeds and insects are gleaned from the ground or low vegetation, but individuals will sometimes run after flying insects for several metres after flushing them.
Source: Beason (1995)
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