Identification
A large, robust, rusty lark with a short crest, a hefty bill, and a prominent rufous wing panel that is obvious in flight. Geographically highly variable, and does not always show a rufous nape. Can vary from rich rufous-brown to pale and sandy in overall coloration. Pairs are resident in open grassland, grassy savanna, woodland, and cultivated areas. It is most conspicuous in the spring and summer, when it perches up singing a sweet, simple song of 3-5 notes such as “treee-leee-treeloo,” occasionally drooping its wings and jumping with a small flutter, exposing the rufous wings that it shares with some other larks.