Sky Lark

Overview

Sky Lark: Medium lark (pekinensis), dark-streaked, brown upperparts and white underparts with streaks on breast, sides. The head has indistinct crest. Tail is dark with white edges. Forages on ground by walking and running. Feeds mostly on seeds, grains, and insects.

Range and Habitat

Sky Lark: Common in Hawaii; accidental during winter on Pacific coast to northern California. Siberian race occurs rarely during migration on Aleutians. Preferred habitats include farmlands, moors, salt marsh, heaths, upland pastures, and industrial waste grounds.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Sky Lark is known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of 150 to 300 feet, when the singing bird may appear as a dot in the sky from the ground.
The male has broader wings than the female. This adaptation may have evolved because of the females' preference for males that sing and hover for longer periods and so demonstrate that they are likely to have good overall fitness.
The song Alouette is a song about the plucking of a Sky Lark. Alouette is the French word for Sky Lark.
A group of larks has many collective nouns, including an "ascension", "chattering", "exaltation", "happiness", and "springul" of larks.