Male © Christoph Moning eBird S21332680 Macaulay Library ML 63739361
Female © Theo Staengl
Female © Peter Candido
Juvenile © Matt Davis
Juvenile © Brian Hicks
+ 10
Male © Christoph Moning
Male © Curtis Dykstra
Male © Matt Davis
Male © Cameron Eckert
Male © Imran Shah
Immature male © Kyle Tansley
Immature male © Bruce Van Valen
Female/immature © Steve Kelling
Habitat © Tim Lenz

Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris

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Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

Squat-looking bird with short legs and low-profile body. Adults are mostly sandy-brown with white belly, sometimes with blurry streaks on sides of breast. Look for bold head pattern, especially black mask and chest band. Throat color varies from yellow to white. Namesake horns on head are sometimes visible at close range. Juveniles can be confusing; they are messy-looking, grayish-brown with bold white spots and scallops on the upperparts. Note bill shape to help separate from sparrows or longspurs. Widespread in open habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Typically seen in flocks, sometimes mixed in with other open-ground songbirds, running along the ground in open areas with little to no vegetation. Listen for lovely jumbled song, as well as variable high-pitched calls when flying over.

POWERED BY MERLIN