"' CARD 311 I REED WARBLER V GROUP 2: BIRDS ,~------------------------------------------~

ORDER Passeriformes

FAMILY Sylviidae

GENUS &: SPECIES Acrocephalus scirpaceus

The reed warbler is a small, shy bird that looks so much like the marsh warbler it usually takes an expert to tell them apart. The two species are most easily distinguished by their song.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 4 l1-5 in .

Weight: y'-l1 oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: Begins in mid­

April or in mid-June, depending on

the bird's location.

No. of broods: 1-2.

Eggs: 3-5, usually 4.

Incubation: 11-12 days.

Fledging period: 10-14 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Shy and secretive.

Diet: Aquatic insects and larvae.

Call: Harsh "churr-churr" inter­

spersed with trills.

Lifespan: Up to 12 years.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 27 species in the genus

Acrocephalus, including the similar

marsh warbler, A. palustris, and the

sedge warbler, A. schoenobaenus.

Breeding range of the reed warbler. Winter range.

DISTRIBUTION

The reed warbler breeds in Europe from Scandinavia in the north

eastward to Kazakhstan. It winters in tropical Africa .

CONSERVATION

The reed warbler is still locally common in many places. How­

ever, the drainage of land for development is steadily reducing

this bird's habitat.

FEATURES OF THE REED WARBLER

Plumage: Varies, depending on the season and the bi rd 's age. Generally brown above and buff below. Legs are dark. Sexes are similar.

Feet: Dark brown , with long , hooked claws for curling around reed stems.

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Head: Rounded , with a whitish

throat. Slightly longer bill than

that of the marsh

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Eggs: 3 to 5. Glossy, pale green with darker spots.

Young: Born feath­erless. The early

plumage has more yellow than the adult's . Bright yellow mouth.

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The reed warbler is a summer visitor to Europe, where it nests

among reeds and other water plants. This bird migrates to

Africa for the winter. There it molts its feathers before making

the long return flight to breed in Europe. During one part of

this journey, while still in Africa, the reed warbler may cover

as much as 620 miles within a period of only four days.

~ HABITAT The reed warbler is found most­ly in marshes or on the edges of ponds and lakes. It lives among reeds, bulrushes, sedges, and other plants with their roots in water. These plants form dense clumps that are difficult to pen­etrate. As a result, they help to protect the bird from a num-

~ MIGRATION The first reed warblers start to migrate south in late August and early September. By then, the young can fly well enough to survive the arduous 5,000-mile journey from the European breeding grounds to Africa.

The birds fly over the north­ern coast of Africa and eventu-

ber of its land-based predators. In some parts of Europe, the

reed warbler has become accus­tomed to humans and builds its nest on farmland. However, this is relatively unusual.

Right: The reed warbler curls its long, hooked claws around reeds and rushes.

ally settle in tropical wetlands in the central part of the conti­nent. There they molt, shedding their worn plumage, and find plenty of insect food.

Reed warblers gather to head north in early April. They return to the same breeding sites they left the year before.

~ FOOD & FEEDING The reed warbler eats insects that it finds among the plants where it lives. Its diet commonly includes caddisflies, stoneflies, and alderflies-which all breed near water.

This agile little bird hops from plant to plant, moving up and down the stems in search of its prey. It also hovers over the wa­ter to catch flying insects or to snatch water striders and whirli-

Left: The reed warbler uses the po­sition of the moon to find its way when migrating at night.

DID YOU KNOW? • A cuckoo often lays an egg in the reed warbler's nest. The cuckoo egg looks like the reed warbler eggs, but it is larger. The cuckoo hatches first and pushes the warbler's eggs or chicks out of the nest. • Given its small size, the reed

gig beetles from the surface. In addition, it takes insect larvae that crawl up from the water onto reed stems.

In late summer and early fall, the reed warbler feeds on ripe berries and large quantities of reed aphids. In this way, it builds up a store of fat to sustain it on its flight to Africa. The dwindling supply of insects signals the bird that it is time to migrate.

Right: An inquisitive bird, the reed warbler investigates the slightest rustlings among the reeds.

warbler has a long lifespan­up to 12 years. • No other European warbler makes a nest as intricate as the reed warbler's. A pair disman­tles its old nest to furnish a new one and may even steal mate­rials from other birds' nests.

~I BIRDWATCH The reed warbler is not easy to spot because it spends a great deal of its time hidden among dense clumps of wet­land plants. This bird is much easier to identify by its song. It trills and chirrups while it

~ BREEDING The reed warbler begins breed­ing in mid-April in the south of its range and in mid-June farther north. Both the male and female build the nest. After gathering grass, reeds, flowers, and leaves, they weave these around rooted stems. When finished, the nest is deep and cylindrical, lined with

feeds, both by day and night. Song is also one of the few

ways to distinguish the reed warbler from the rarer marsh warbler. The song of the lat­ter is louder and more musi­cal than the reed warbler's .

grass, roots, wool, or feathers. Although in warmer regions

the female may lay two clutches, in cooler areas she only has time to lay one. The three to five eggs are pale green and glossy with dark spots. Both sexes incubate the eggs for 11 to 12 days, tak­ing turns so that each partner can look for food.

The featherless young have bright yellow mouths, which they hold open constantly for food. Fed insects by both par­ents, the nestlings grow quickly. They are fully fledged at 10 to 14 days old.

Left: The nest is very deep to pre­vent the eggs or young from being swept out in strong winds ..

'" CARD 312 1

NORTHERN WHEATEAR " G ROUP 2: BIRDS ,,~----------------------------------------~ ". ORDER ". FAMILY ". GENUS &; SPECIES ~ Posseriformes ~ Turdidoe ~ Oenonthe oenonthe

The northern wheatear is one of Europe ~ earliest spring migrants. Flying in from its winter quarters in Africa or Iraq, it sometimes

reaches the Mediterranean coast by early February.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 5~-6 in .

Wingspan: 10-13 in.

Weight: ~-1 oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: April to August.

No. of broods: Often 2 in lowland

areas. Usually 1 in uplands.

Eggs: Usually 5-6, pale blue.

Incubation: 2 weeks.

Fledging period: About 2 weeks.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary; migratory.

Diet: Mainly small invertebrates;

also berries and seeds.

Lifespan: Oldest banded bird,

7 years.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 18 species of wheatear in

North America, Eurasia, and Africa.

These include the pied wheatear,

Oenonthe pica to, and the desert

wheatear, O. deserti.

Range of the northern wheatear.

DISTRIBUTION

Breeds in Europe, Asia, Greenland, northern Canada, and Alas­

ka. Winters in Africa and Iraq.

CONSERVATION

The northern wheatear is not under any great threat. But it is

declining widely as its upland habitats are increasingly used for

public recreation and conifer planting.

I FEATURES OF THE NORTHERN WHEATEAR

Female: Same plumage year­round. Brown back and wings, creamy white underparts. White rump like male's.

Tail: Dark tip and central plumes form upside-down T mark that is visible when fanned.

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Male: Black wings and tail. In summer, medium blue back and creamy under­parts with rich buff breast. In winter, resembles the female with brown up­perparts and creamy white breast.

Bill: Black. Thin and sharp, ideal

for pecking at seeds and small

invertebrates.

Eggs: Pale blue. 5 or 6 per clutch, laid in a nest of grass, hair,

and feathers.

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The northern wheatear spends most of its time on or near

the ground in open country. This lively little bird is always

on the move, flitting between low perches such as boulders

and shrubs. A typical bird of the uplands, the northern

wheatear nests among the rocks and chases insects and

other small invertebrates across the windswept turf.

~ HABITAT The northern wheatear nests in Greenland, Canada, and Alaska, as well as in Europe and Asia . It prefers open habitats with low vegetation. But it can also be found from the stony slopes of high mountains to the sparsely vegetated Arctic coastal tundra.

One place where the wheat­ear has suffered habitat loss is Great Britain. There the bird of­ten nested on lowlands, such as chalk downs, where the grass was kept short by grazing ani­mals. But grazing in these areas has declined, and the land has been cultivated or overgrown with scrub. As a result, there are only a few lowland sites where British birds can nest today.

~ BREEDING The northern wheatear arrives at its European breeding grounds as early as February, before most other migrants. The male estab­lishes and defends a breeding site. He attracts females by hop­ping, bowing, and gently war­bling. The birds often pair up with the same mate each year.

In much of northern Europe, the wheatear nests in holes in roadside walls. At times it nests

Left: A hole in a stone wall makes a snug, safe nesting site for the north­ern wheatear.

DID YOU KNOW • After they leave Greenland, migrating northern wheatears fly directly to Spain, covering a distance of over 1,850 miles. • The name of the wheatear has nothing to do with ears or wheat. It comes from the Old English for "white taiL"

among boulders on high, ex­posed sites or in an abandoned rabbit burrow in lowlands.

The female builds the grassy nest, lining it with feathers and hair. She lays five or six eggs, usually in May, and does most of the incubation. The chicks hatch in two weeks and fledge two weeks later. By late August, most northern European birds have begun migrating south.

Right: On lowland moors the north­ern wheatear may be able to raise two broods before migrating.

• Wheatears in Dungeness on the southern coast of England use old sheets of corrugated iron as nest sites. • At one time shepherds on British chalk downs trapped large numbers of northern wheatears to sell for food.

~ BIRDWATCH The northern wheatear's most distinctive feature is its white rump with the dark T-shaped mark on the tail. This is clearly visible when the tail is fanned or the bird takes flight.

Europe has two forms of

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The northern wheatear feeds primarily on invertebrates such as caterpillars, beetles, flies, ear­wigs, grasshoppers, centipedes, spiders, and snails. In addition, the wheatear eats some grass seeds as well as small fruits such

Left: The northern wheatear may perch on a low shrub or boulder and then dart out in pursuit of prey.

~ MIGRATION Many European species leave for Africa after they breed. But the northern wheatear is distinc­tive because birds from all parts of the range, including Canada and Greenland, cross huge dis­tances to winter in Africa or Iraq.

Wheatears from Greenland

northern wheatear-the Eur­asian and Greenland races. The latter is larger and more richly colored than the Eur­asian race. It also has longer wings to sustain its lengthy migration flights.

as blackberries and bilberries. When foraging, the bird runs

or hops over low ground cover, pausing periodically to pick up food or scan the area ahead. It also flutters and hovers over one spot, rather like a kestrel. It prob­ably does this in order to get a good view of the ground when the grass is especially long.

and Canada head southeast to Europe and then on to Africa. Alaskan populations cross the Bering Strait and then fly over Asia and Europe before arriving at their wintering grounds.

The birds fly mainly at night, usually alone or in small groups.

RED JUNGLEFOWL

ORDER Galliformes

CLASS Phasianidoe

GROUP 2: BIRDS

GENUS &: SPECIES Gallus gallus

The red junglefowl lives in the forests of India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. It looks like a farmyard chicken and is believed

to be the ancestor of the world ~ domestic poultry.

__ Sl~K_E_Y __ F_A_C_T_S _____ ~ _________ -J

SIZES

Length: Male, 2-2~ ft. Female,

1 ~ ft. Weight: Male, 1 ~-2 lb. Female,

1-1 ~ lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: March to May

in most areas.

Eggs: 5-6, pale buff to pale red­

dish brown.

Incubation: 18-20 days.

Fledging period: 12 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Active in daytime. Roosts

in small groups in trees. Male de­

fends the breeding territory.

Diet: Seeds and fruits, as well as in­

sects and other invertebrates.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 3 other species of jungle­

fowl, all of them found in southern

or southeastern Asia.

Range of the red junglefowl.

DISTRIBUTION

Inhabits southeastern Asia from northeastern Pakistan and India

north to the lower Himalayas and east through Myanmar (Bur­

ma) to the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Bali.

CONSERVATION

The red junglefowl has adapted to thrive near humans. Despite

many centuries of being hunted, it survives in good numbers.

FEATURES OF THE RED JUNGLEFOWL

Hackles: Erected in display during breeding season .

Male: Russet-gold upper plumage with deep green and reddish underparts. Long green tail feathers .

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Female: Buff upperparts, russet underparts. "Cape" of yellow and black feathers around neck. Smaller

than the male and lacking his long tail feathers.

A sharp claw at the back of each leg is used to fight rivals. Fights are usually ritualized , so serious injury is avoided.

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The red junglefowl is a small pheasant that makes its home

in tropical and subtropical forests. Its appearance is very

similar to that of its descendants, the farmyard chickens.

The red junglefowl also has many habits in common with

domestic chickens, including the practice of scratching

around on the ground for food, the pecking order within

flocks, and the early morning crowing of the cock.

~ HABITS The red junglefowl is most of­

ten found in forests with heavy

undergrowth or stands of bam­

boo. When searching for food,

it may venture into scrubland,

clearings, and cultivated areas

such as rice paddies.

Like domestic poultry, the red

junglefowl takes dust baths, roil­

ing on the ground and flutter­

ing its wings to work soil and

sand into its feathers. This helps

condition its plumage and re­

move parasites from its skin.

The red junglefowl generally

forages from dawn until mid­

morning. It rests in the shade

during the hottest part of the

day and resumes feeding from

midafternoon until dusk. Then

it flies into a tree to roost, usual­

ly in small groups of about five

individuals. But up to 30 birds

have been seen perched on a

bamboo stem .

Right: A dust bath helps to keep the red junglefowl healthy by re­moving parasites.

~ BREEDING The red junglefowl breeds in late

winter or spring. The male per­

forms various displays to chal­

lenge rivals, claim a territory, or

attract females. He lowers one

wing while circling a female. He

then flaps his wings, erects the

hackles (long feathers) on his

neck, and shakes his head.

The male also crows loudly, es­

pecially in the morning, to pro­

claim his territory and assert his

position in the flock. During the

breeding period, the male crows

slightly earlier every morning.

Subtle differences between the

Left: The cock crows to stake out a territorYt warn off rivals, and at­tract a mate.

DID YOU KNOW? • The world's most abundant

birds, domestic chickens, are

descendants of the red jungle­

fowl. There are over eight bil­

lion chickens, outnumbering

humans by about two to one.

• In many myths in India, the male junglefowl brings two

lovers together.

• Domesticated junglefowl,

"cock-a-doodle-doo" calls of

males may help rivals to identi­

fy one another.

"Tidbitting"- pecking at a bit

of food or other object on the

ground- is a form of sexual dis­

play used by the male. It is also

used by the female to attract

her chicks to food and strength­

en her bond with them.

The female builds a nest on

the ground in dense cover and

incubates the eggs alone. The

hatchlings can run around with­

in a few hours and follow their

mother from the nest site.

Right: The chicks remain close to their mother until they are able to fly from danger.

like other domesticated birds

such as ducks and geese, do

not lay a fixed number of eggs

in one season. Instead, they

replace any eggs that are re­

moved. Selective breeding has

produced hens that lay eggs

almost daily, and there is a rec­

ord of one hen that laid 371

eggs in one year.

~ RED JUNGLEFOWL &: MAN Humans domesticated the red its role in religion and its use in

junglefowl in India in 3200 B.C. cock fighting, not because of

It was domesticated in Egypt by its meat and eggs. The Romans

1500 B.C. and in China by 1400 had a poultry industry, but there

B.C. Afterward, it spread to Eu­

rope and may have reached the

Americas from Asia by way of

Ecuador's and Peru's coasts.

The domesticated junglefowl

became widespread because of

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The red junglefowl eats leaves,

shoots, petals, nuts, fruits, ber­

ries, and over 30 kinds of seeds.

Its diet includes bamboo seeds

and shoots plus such crops as

rice, corn, beans, and tapioca. It

also feeds on a variety of inver­

tebrates, including beetles, ter­

mites, ants, flies, spiders, snails,

and millipedes. In the dry sea­

son, it visits water holes both

morning and evening.

The red junglefowl generally

goes out alone to scratch in the

was no subsequent large-scale

industry until the 19th century.

Settlers have introduced wild

red junglefowl into such coun­

tries as Australia, New Zealand,

and South Africa.

leaf debris for food. But flocks

of up to 50 may gather to feed.

The flock has a "pecking order"

in which dominant birds have

access to the best feeding sites.

The junglefowl swallows grit

to help break up seeds and oth­

er tough food in its thick-walled

gizzard-the muscular part of

a bird's stomach. In Myanmar

(formerly Burma), in areas where

gems are mined, sapphires and

rubies have been found in jun­

glefowl gizzards.

'" CARD 314 I EUROPEAN ROLLER

~--------------------------~~~~~~ .. ORDER

"11IIIIIIII Coraciiformes FAMILY Coraciidae

GENUS &: SPECIES Coracias garrulus

The European roller gets its name from the rolling and tumbling display flights with which it defends its territory and attracts a mate. During these displays, the bird utters loud, raucous cries.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 12-13 in.

Wingspan: 2-2~ ft . Weight: 4-6 oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1-2 years.

Breeding season: May to August.

No. of broods: 1.

Eggs: 3-5, glossy white.

Incubation: 17-19 days.

Fledging period: About 4 weeks.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Mostly solitary, except in

the early stages of migration.

Diet: Mainly insects; occasionally

snails, earthworms, lizards, frogs,

and other small animals.

Breeding range of the European roller. Winter range.

DISTRIBUTION

Call: A wide variety of harsh, crow­

like or chattering calls.

The European roller breeds in the countries that border the

Mediterranean as well as in parts of eastern Europe and west­

ern Asia. Populations winter in Africa, mainly in the east.

Lifespan: 9 years or more. CONSERVATION RELATED SPECIES

There are 8 other species in the

genus Coracias-all found in the

Old World .

The European roller has declined in number in the northwest­

ern parts of its range.

FEATURES OF THE EUROPEAN ROLLER

Bill: Slightly dqwnward­curving to help catch insects.

Flight: The roller gets its mIme from the way in which the male rolls over in flight to attract a female.

Eggs: White, smooth , and

glossy. 3 to 5 generally laid

in a tree hole or abandoned nest.

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Plumage: Mainly bright blue-green with a chestnut back and black

primary wing feathers. Long tail feathers fan out in flight.

0160200951 PACKET 95

The European roller is a conspicuous bird, with its beautiful

blue-green and chestnut plumage flashing in the sun. This

bird often stations itself on a prominent perch such as a

dead branch or a telephone wire and watches for prey.

Then it swoops down to snatch insects and other small

animals on the ground. The European roller also hunts

prey in midair., descending on swarms of flying insects.

~ HABITS The European roller spends most of its time on its favorite perch, scanning the ground for prey. Its short legs make it clumsy on land, and it moves only short distances, hopping awkwardly. However, it is a strong, aerobat­ic flier, with long, broad wings.

During the breeding season, the roller is found in open oak woods and pinewoods contain­ing old, hollow trees with holes for nesting . It also inhabits thick­ets, parks, and tree-lined river­banks. In Turkestan, which is in the southwestern part of the former Soviet Union, this bird frequents steppes, semideserts, and even barren deserts.

~ FOOD & FEEDING The European roller eats mainly insects, especially large beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers. On occasion, however, it also feeds on other small animals. These include centipedes, slugs, spi­ders, earthworms, snails, frogs, and small lizards.

The bird often hunts from a perch up to 16 feet above the ground. It glides down to seize prey in its strong bill and then Left: The European roller is similar in build to a jackdaw, with a slight­ly down-curved bill.

DID YOU KNOW? • The European roller eats cer­tain insects that have an espe­cially foul taste. These include various beetles, glowworms, goat moth caterpillars, and some poisonous centipedes. • The name of the European roller's species comes from the Latin word garrulu5, meaning "talkative." It refers to a roller

ascends to a nearby perch. It beats large insects to kill them and make them easier to eat. Or it may toss prey in the air and catch it again in its bill.

The European roller also feeds in midair-especially in Africa, where it often preys on swarms of flying termites and ants. In dry areas where grass fires oc­cur, it eats the charred remains of insects and other animals. Right: The European roller prefers to nest in an existing tree hole or abandoned nest.

pair's habit of "talking" to one another with frequent calls. • The European roller aggres­sively defends its eggs as well as its young, attacking crows and even birds of prey. • The European roller is a rela­tive of two other spectacular birds: the European kingfisher and the hoopoe.

The European roller is highly ter­ritorial. In the breeding season the male performs various dis­plays to claim a breeding area and attract a mate. In one mat­ing ritual, two or more birds face one another on a branch. With tails fanned and wings drooped, they bow deeply, utter hoarse cries, and then wipe their bills against the perch.

The best-known ritual is a dra­matic aerial display, usually per­formed by a male. Flying slowly and steeply upward, he makes a series of harsh calls. Then he

left: The male and the female look alike. It is the male that displays to attract a mate.

almost stalls before tipping for­ward and diving in a sharp de­scent while flapping his wings, tilting his body from side to side, and making rattling calls.

The roller usually nests in a tree hole or abandoned nest, but it sometimes uses a grass bank, cliff burrow, or crevice in an abandoned building. A pair may use the same nest site for several years.

Altho·ugh both sexes incubate the eggs, the female spends the most time, sitting on the eggs all night and much of the day for nearly three weeks. Both parents rear the chicks. However, the male catches most of the food .

HORNED LARK ,,-ORDER Passeriformes

FAMILY Alaudidae

GROUP 2: BIRDS GENUS &: SPECIES Eremophila alpestris

The horned lark is a widespread bird in North America, where it often nests in barren regions. An early breeder, it sometimes

incubates its eggs while there is still snow on the ground.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 7-8 in.

Wingspan: 12-14 in.

Weight: 1-1 ~ oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: February to July.

No. of broods: 1-2.

Eggs: 4, speckled with brown.

Incubation: 10-14 days.

Fledging period: 16-18 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Sociable outside the breed­

ing season.

Diet: Seeds, fruit, and insects.

Call: Shrill, rippling song is a com­

plex series of tinkling notes uttered

in flight or at times from a perch

on the ground.

Lifespan: Unknown.

RELATED SPECIES

There are about 80 species in the

lark family Alaudidae.

Resident range of Winter the horned lark. range.

----",.".....-

DISTRIBUTION

Breeding range.

North American races breed throughout the continent. Eur­

asian races breed from Scandinavia to northern Siberia and in

central Asia. Northern breeders migrate south in winter, but

southern breeders are resident. Isolated populations occur in

Morocco and Colombia.

CONSERVATION

Common in the U.S. and may be increasing in Eurasia.

r FEATURES OF THE HORNED LARK

Female

Plumage: Pinkish brown above, with paler underparts. Yellow face and throat, with black breast band and cheeks. Female lacks black "horns" and is duller than the male.

Eggs: Usually 4. Pale brown, heavily speckled with dar~ bmwA.

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"Horns": Short black feathers on the sides of the male's crown.

Bill: Slender, for eating seeds, in­sects, and fruit.

Male

0160200941 PACKET 94

In North America, the horned lark nests in many

different kinds of habitats. This bird can be found not

only in open pastures, cultivated fields, prairies, and

rocky ridges but also in deserts and on shores. In Europe

and Asia, however, where this species is known as the

shore lark, the bird nests only in the treeless tundra

of the far north and on high mountain slopes.

~ CHARACTERISTICS About the size of a thrush, the

horned lark is a typical bird of

open country. Mostly pinkish

brown above, it is paler below

and has a boldly patterned black

and yellow head. Black feathers

on the male's head taper into a

pair of tiny "horns," giving the

bird its American name.

Although the bird is called the

shore lark in Europe, it is usually

found on Eurasian beaches, salt

marshes, and sand dunes only

in winter. In the breeding sea­

son it nests in Arctic tundra and

on high mountain slopes.

In North America the absence

of other lark species enables the

bird to colonize a wide range of

open habitats, including farm

fields, prairies, deserts, and air­

ports. In contrast to the patchy

distribution of the 14 Eurasian

subspecies, the 27 North Amer­

ican subspecies are common

throughout the range.

~ BREEDING In migratory populations, the

male horned lark usually reaches

the breeding grounds before the

female and immediately begins

to defend a territory. Competing

males lower their heads, raise

their black "horns," hunch their

backs, and droop their wings. A

male may also sing from a perch

to claim a territory.

On a female's arrival, the male

frequently courts her by strutting

around her with "horns" erect

and offering her food. Climbing

to heights of up to 900 feet, he

may then perform song flights,

gliding to the ground as he ut-

Left: Over its enormous range, the horned lark has evolved 41 differ­ent subspecies.

DID YOU KNOW? • In North America the differ-

ent local names for the horned

lark include the road chippie,

road trotter,spring bird, and

wheat bird. In England the

bird is also called the sea lark,

snowbird, and snowflake.

• High in the Himalayas, the

horned lark can be found at

elevations up to 17;500 feet,

ters his tinkling, warbling song.

The female constructs a cup­

shaped nest of grasses and hair

in a natural hollow. Or she may

scrape out a hollow with her bill

and feet. She usually chooses a

site sheltered by grass or a rock

so that the entrance faces away

from the wind and sun.

The female lays four eggs at a

rate of one a day. She incubates

them alone, but her mate may

feed her. The young hatch with­

in two weeks and are fed mostly

insects by the female. Like other

larks, the young leave the nest

about a week before they can fly.

Right: The female usually hatches four chicks, which are fledged in 16 to 18 days.

on the edge of the snow line.

• Between the 1950s and the

1970s, the numbers of horned

larks that visited Great Britain's

coasts in fall and winter great­

ly increased, but the numbers

then dropped off. At the peak

about 1,500 birds were seen

annually, but now only about

100 appear each year.

~I BIRDWATCH The horned lark is identifiable

by its flight. It nearly closes its

wings between each beat, so

its outline alternates between

a slim shape and a cross. The

bold black-and-yellow pattern

of its face is also distinctive, as

is its clear call.

~ FOOD & FEEDING During the winter, the horned

lark feeds on the ground, eating

mostly seeds and fruits. Close to

the shore it feeds in flocks at low

tide on the seeds of glasswort, a

salt-marsh plant. At high tide it

often moves to dunes, where it

finds a variety of seeds. It may

move a short distance inland to

feed on waste grain, grass seeds,

Left: In summer the horned lark supplements its diet of seeds and fruit with insects.

Wintering horned larks trav­

el in flocks, frequently forag­

ing with snow buntings and

longspurs on barren fields, at

airports, and even on parking

lots where a few weeds have

managed to grow in cracks in

the pavement.

and weed seeds on farm fields

and pasture. Although a flock

may have favorite feeding areas,

the birds frequently forage along

long stretches of coastline.

In the spring and summer, the

horned lark supplements its diet

with shoots and buds as well as

insects such as crane flies, ants,

midges, and beetles. It also eats

other invertebrates, including

earthworms, spiders, and small

mollusk species.