Breeding birds: 1,500,000 territories
Family: Larks
Skylarks have brown upperparts that are streaked with darker brown, and pale fringes on the wings. The breast is pale buff streaked with dark brown while the rest of the underparts are white. The tail is dark, almost black, with white spots on the outer feathers.
On the head, the face is streaked brown, the crown is slightly darker with longer feathers that form a small crest. There is a pale buff eyebrow that extends behind the eyes and down to the throat which is cream or pale buff with some steaks. The short bill is horn coloured with the upper mandible slightly darker than the lower, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and feet are light brown. They have a rear toe that is longer than the others.
Male and female skylarks look similar, but the male is larger than the female.
Juveniles resemble the adults but are heavily mottled with white scaling.
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Skylarks breed from April to July and produce 2 or 3 broods a season. They nest on the ground on open fields in a shallow depression concealed by grass. The female builds the nest with grass and lines it with finer plant materials and horsehair.
Skylarks lay 3-5 grey-white or green eggs with brown or olive spots which are incubated by the female alone for 11 days. During the incubation period the male will sing and fly over the territory. Chicks are covered in yellow down, and are fed by both parents. They leave the nest after about 10 days, and fledge 10 days later.
Skylarks eat insects, worms, seeds, and grain. They will also eat windfalls. They mainly forage on the ground but will sometimes catch insects in the air.
Skylarks can be seen all year round across the UK. They can be spotted in open countryside and although are hard to see on the ground it is easy to see them when in flight because of their distinctive song.
The skylark’s song is fast, complex, and highly variable with anything from 160 to 460 syllables in the sing. 30 minute song flight performances have been measured although the average is about 2 minutes.
One Response
Today I had the most interesting and thrilling view of this bird. Thanks to your guide, plus the fact that I was so close before the pair chose to fly away making a call of warning, there was no doubt. Have seen many skylarks while cycling before, but usually when they spring out from their hidden sitting position. It was the clear view of the crest of the nearer one, presumably the male, which made the view so enthalling. They watched me approach on my cycle on a track road, high up above Langynider, near Brecon.