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Woodlark
(Lullula arborea)
: "Wood Lark", "Tree Lark"
German name(s): "Heidelerche"
Size: 13.5-15 cm; wing span 27-30 cm
Weight: 20-30 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Woodlarks are a small larks. Their
plumage is highly
cryptic.
The face is dominated by a white chin/throat, extending into
a white fringe below the red-brown ear coverts. Below the eyes,
and around the top of the ear coverts, there is a grey band
that connects to two faint black moustachial stripes.
The front is light-grey, with red-brown and near-black streaks down
the chest.
The head is streaked red-brown and near-black, the hindneck is
light-brown with near-black faint streask, while all of the back,
including the folded wings, is red-brown, with lighter brown and
near-black streaking.
The prominent light-grey supercilia connect in the shape of a "V"
at the nape of the neck.
The tail is short, with a thin white terminal band.
In-flight the upperwings are dark-grey, with a white wing bar
and a black patch near the alula.
The irises are dark-brown. The slender bill is horn-coloured,
with a darker base. Legs and feet are greyish-pink.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Woodlark
at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Woodlark is available
HERE
.
There are 2 races of Woodlarks, namely nominate race
"arborea", and race "pallida". Both races are partly
sedentary and partly migratory.
Their overall range extends from western Europe and
north-western near-coastal Africa, via much of Europe
and Asia Minor, to western Russia and Iran in the East.
In Europe both races of Woodlarks are present.
Nominate race
"arborea"
populates northern, western and central Europe, roughly northward of
the Pyrenees and the Alps.
While to the West of the river Rhine (southern and western
France; southern near-coastal England) they are sedentary,
members of this race are migratory elsewhere. Their breeding
range reaches as far to the North as Denmark, southern
Sweden and southern-most Finland. Their breeding range
extends eastwards as far as Ukraine and western Russia,
up to the Dnjepr River.
They spend the northern winters in southern Europe.
Race "pallida"
is present around the Mediterranean and
throughout the Balkans, with the Danube River as the
northern boundary. They are mostly sedentary.
Woodlarks are found primarily in open forest, with a preference
pine on sandy soil, but they also stay in mixed or deciduous
forest with clearings or in heath with scattered copses.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "arborea"
H. Dahlem-Senger reports finding a Woodlark, nominate race
"arborea",
near Arnhem, Netherlands, in April 2018.
D. Wilczynska found a Woodlark, race
"arborea",
along the River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, in June 2018.
Race "pallida"
J. Pires reports finding Woodlarks, race
"pallida",
semi-regularly in the area of Mora, Evora, Portugal, to Montargil,
Alentejo, Portugal.
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Photos |
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Race "arborea"
This race is also called the "Northern Woodlark".
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ADULT |
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Lateral view of a Woodlark
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, June 2018]
Lateral view of a Woodlark
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Arnhem, Netherlands, April 2018]
Race "pallida"
This race is also called the "Southern Woodlark".
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ADULT |
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Near-frontal view of a Woodlark
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, October 2013]
Lateral view of a Woodlark foraging on the ground
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, January 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a Woodlark
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a Woodlark on the ground
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a Woodlark
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2016]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Woodlark
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]
Dorsal view of a Woodlark, crest flat
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2021]
Dorsal view of a Woodlark, crest erected
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2021]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Woodlark sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.
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.