Temminck's Lark
Encyclopedia
The Temminck’s Lark or Temminck’s Horned Lark (Eremophila bilopha), breeds across much of north Africa
, through northern Saudi Arabia
to western Iraq
. It is mainly resident, but some populations of this passerine bird
are partially migratory
, moving further south in winter.
This lark
is a bird of open stony semi-desert. Its nest is on the ground, with 2-4 egg
s being laid. Its food is seed
s supplemented with insect
s in the breeding season.
Unlike most other larks, Temminck’s Lark is a distinctive looking species on the ground, similar to the other, larger, member of its genus, the Shore Lark
. The 14–15 cm adult is mainly reddish brown-grey above and pale below, and it has a striking black and white face pattern. The summer male has black "horns", which give this species its alternative name. The juvenile of this species is reddish above and pale below, quite unlike juvenile Shore Lark.
Adult Temminck’s Lark differs from Shore Lark in its reddish, rather than brown-grey plumage
, and the lack of yellow in the face pattern. It has a similar but less harsh metallic call.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, through northern Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to western Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It is mainly resident, but some populations of this passerine bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
are partially migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, moving further south in winter.
This lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
is a bird of open stony semi-desert. Its nest is on the ground, with 2-4 egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s being laid. Its food is seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s supplemented with insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s in the breeding season.
Unlike most other larks, Temminck’s Lark is a distinctive looking species on the ground, similar to the other, larger, member of its genus, the Shore Lark
Shore Lark
The Shore Lark , called the Horned Lark in North America, is a species of bird in the genus Eremophila.- Description :...
. The 14–15 cm adult is mainly reddish brown-grey above and pale below, and it has a striking black and white face pattern. The summer male has black "horns", which give this species its alternative name. The juvenile of this species is reddish above and pale below, quite unlike juvenile Shore Lark.
Adult Temminck’s Lark differs from Shore Lark in its reddish, rather than brown-grey plumage
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
, and the lack of yellow in the face pattern. It has a similar but less harsh metallic call.