Eurasian Skylarks are medium-sized larks. Their
plumage is
highly cryptic.
The cap and nape of the neck are grey-brown, with fine dark
streaks.
The grey lores and eye stripes connect to a grey fringe around
the grey-brown, lightly streaked ear coverts.
The chin is grey, the breast and flanks are grey with mid- to
dark-brown streaking, the belly, vent and undertail coverts are
again grey.
The upperparts, from mantle to rump, are grey-brown with brown
streaking; the wings are dark-grey, with light-brown edge lining
to the coverts, which gives the folded wings a scalloped look.
The wings have a narrow white trailing edge. The uppertail, the
center of which is grey-brown with brown streaks, is otherwise
dark-grey, with narrow white outer edges.
Eurasian Skylarks have a small erectile crest that is most apparent
in autumn, but flattened by wear in spring.
The irises are black, the bill has a grey upper mandible and a
lighter, yellowish-grey lower mandible. The legs are the colour
of skin.
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the
ebird.org
website.
The global distribution of the Eurasian Skylark is available
HERE
.
Eurasian Skylarks are a migratory species.
They breed in Europe, along the north-western coastal
fringe of Africa, in Asia Minor and around the Black Sea
and the Caspian Sea (with the exception of the Caucasus)
and in temperate parts of Asia.
In summer they extend their range to populate basically
all of Europe. They also move into the mountainous regions
of Anatolia, the Caucasus and northwards well into the
western and central Asian tundra.
In winter migrants will move into more southern areas, such
as the Mediterranean, the entire North-African coastal fringe
and into the Middle East, parts of Arabia, Korea and southern
Japan.
There are significant introduced populations in South-east
Australia and in New Zealand.
In Europe Eurasian Skylarks are permanent residents in
the central, western (including the British Isles) and
southern parts of the continent, with the exception of
the Alps.
During the breeding season they extend their range to
encompass basically the entire continent, including the
Scottish highlands and all of eastern Europe, but with
the exception of the highest mountain areas in Scandinavia.
The northern and eastern breeders will move to the South
during winter, to mix with the sedentary populations in
temperate regions and around the Mediterranean Sea.
Sightings
Click here for sighting information
Race "arvensis"
D. Wilczynska reports spotting Eurasian Skylarks, nominate race
"arvensis",
near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, in April 2016
and in Biebrza National Park, Poland, in May 2016, and
near Brok, Masovia, Poland in March 2019.
In the past we have seen Eurasian Skylarks, race
"arvensis",
regularly in the Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, over decades
since the 1960ies.
Race "sierrae"
J. Pires reports spotting an
Eurasian Skylark, race
"sierrae",
in the Tejo estuary, Portugal, in April 2017.
Photos
Race "arvensis"
ADULT
MALE
Lateral view of a male Eurasian Skylark with its crest erected
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]
Ventral view of a male Eurasian Skylark hovering in display flight;
this is the bird whose
territorial song was recorded on 22 March 2019
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]
FEMALE
Lateral view of a female Eurasian Skylark
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a female Eurasian Skylark
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a female Eurasian Skylark
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]
Dorsal view of a (probably female) Eurasian Skylark
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza National Park, Poland, May 2016]
Race "sierrae"
ADULT
Sex unknown
Near-dorsal view of an Eurasian Skylark
(photo courtesy of J. Pires )
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2017]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
German name(s): "Feldlerche"
Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
Click here for a physical description
are welcome.