Every bird as it is reared and the lark for the bog.

Irish Proverb quote

Horned Lark/Shore Lark: Have you seen this bird?

Horned Lark/ Shore Lark

The Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris), called the Horned Lark in North America, breeds across much of North America, northernmost Europe and Asia and in the mountains of southeast Europe.

This is a bird of open ground. In Eurasia it breeds above the tree line in mountains and the far north. In most of Europe, it is most often seen on seashore flats in winter, leading to the European name.

In America, where there are no other larks to compete with, it’s also found on farmland, on prairies, in deserts, on golf courses and airports, and the like.

Identification Tips:
• Length: 6.5 inches
• Thin bill
• Black mask, horns and breastband
• White or yellow supercilium
• White or yellow throat
• Gray-brown upperparts
• Pale underparts
• Black tail with white outer tail feathers
• Dark legs
• Juvenile is duller, lacks horns
• Inhabits open areas with short or sparse vegetation
• Often found in large flocks

Similar species:

The face pattern of the Horned Lark is quite different from other field-loving species.

They nest on the ground, with 2-5 eggs being laid. Food is seeds supplemented with insects in the breeding season.

In the open areas of western North America, Horned Larks are among the bird species most often killed by wind turbines.