What is Crested lark

The Crested lark (Galerida cristata) is a species of lark widely spread across Eurasia and northern Africa. It is a non-migratory bird. It is slightly larger in passerines, with a body length of 17-18 cm. With a crest, the crest feathers are long and narrow. The upper body is sandy brown with nearly black vertical stripes, and the tail is covered with yellow feathers. The lower body is pale yellow, and the chest is densely covered with nearly black longitudinal stripes.

What does Crested lark look like?

The crested lark is a small songbird. The body length is 17-18 cm, the wingspan is 29-34 cm, and the weight is 35-45 grams. A slightly larger lark with brown longitudinal stripes. With a crest, the crest feathers are long and narrow. The upper body is sandy brown with nearly black vertical stripes, and the tail is covered with yellow feathers. The lower body is pale yellow, and the chest is densely covered with nearly black longitudinal stripes. It looks squat and has a short tail, slightly long and curved mouth. When flying, the wings are wide and the underwings are rusty; the tail is dark brown and the sides are yellowish brown. The juveniles are densely spotted on the upper body. The difference from the skylark is that the silhouette is larger and the crest is pointed, the bill is longer and curved, the ear feathers are less brown and there is no white rear wing edge. The central pair of tail feathers is light brown, most of the outermost pair of tail feathers are skin yellow or brown, and only the inner feathers are dark brown. The second outer pair of tail feathers has a broad brown fringe only on the outer flap. The wing coverts are light brown or sandy brown, the flight feathers are dark brown, the outer feathers are brown, and the base of the inner feathers also has a wide brown feathers.

The body shape and feather color are slightly similar to sparrows, which are suitable for living on the ground. The legs and feet are strong and powerful, and the rear toes have a long and straight claw; The wings are pointed and long, and the inner flight feathers (tertiary flight feathers) are longer; the tail feathers are medium in length, with shallow forks, and the outer tail feathers are often white.

The iris is dark brown; the beak is yellow-pink, with a dark tip; the feet are pinkish.

Habitat

Habitat in dry plains, open plains, coastal plains, wilderness, semi-desert, desert edges, grasslands, low mountain plains, wastelands, riversides, beaches, grasses, graveyards, barren hillsides, farmland and abandoned farmland.

Living habit

They often live in groups during the non-breeding season; they often walk on the ground or fly in weak waves with flapping wings. Sings on the ground, or in flight, or while flapping its wings in the air while descending slowly and vertically. When flying high, it rushes straight into the clouds, and is also good at running on the ground. When disturbed, it often hides and is not easy to be detected because of its protective color.

Food

Usually forages for insects and seeds on the ground. It mainly feeds on plant food, but also eats animal food such as insects, and is omnivorous. The main food is plant food such as Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Polygonaceae, Rubiaceae and Huzhizi, and also eats a small amount of crops such as wheat grains and beans. It also preys on insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and locusts.

Distribution area

The crested lark breeds across most of temperate Eurasia from Portugal to north-eastern China and eastern India, and in Africa south to Niger.

Mode of reproduction

Nests in hollows on desert grasslands, and also on embankments or bushes where plants are planted. The nest is shallow cup-shaped, made of weeds, hair, bird feathers, fibrous roots, etc., covered by weeping grass to protect it from wind and sun. The breeding season is from May to July. It nests on the ground at the base of the grass, and lays 4-5 eggs per nest. The eggs are light brown or nearly white, and densely dotted with brown fine spots. The size is about 9-10 cm. The sexes hatch in turn, and the chicks break out of their shells in 12-13 days of incubation. The newly hatched chicks are naked, with down feathers only in some parts, and stay in the nest for 11 days. During this period, they are fed by both parents, mainly feeding on insect larvae.