Identification
A small, compact, finch-like sociable lark that can be both resident and nomadic, although movements are poorly understood. The sexes differ in plumage: the distinctive male has a tawny crown and nape, bold pale ear-patches, and otherwise dark face and throat that stretch as a line down the belly to the vent; the dull streaky female has a buffy eyebrow and a dark breast and belly patch. Immature is similar to the female. Small-to-medium-size flocks prefer semi-arid grassland and bare fields. Compare to Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, in which both sexes are darker and more contrasting than Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark.