Family:
The crested lark is similar to the skylark, but brighter and paler with a bulkier body, shorter tail, longer bill, and longer spikier crest. It has streaked brown upperparts, buffy white underparts, and rust under the wings. Males and females look the same. The crest is always raised but is more prominent during territorial and courtship displays, and when singing.
There are over 30 subspecies which all have a slight variations in plumage colour.
It has a distinctive, warbling, fluty call, and sings when flying high in the sky or on the ground. Unlike the skylark it does not sing when ascending.
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Crested larks eat mainly seeds and grains, such as oats, wheat, and barley. It will also supplement its diet with insects, in particular beetles.
Crested larks are found across eastern Europe, west and central Asia, and Africa. It prefers dry open country, and can often be spotted in cereal fields or by roadsides, as well as small, sandy patches of ground.
