Appearance:

Adults in summer at close range unmistakable. Bill in juveniles almost black, and much less deep than in adults. Adults in winter plumage also show much darker bill and cheeks than in summer. At a distance head gives an all dark impression, with characteristic dark "shadow " in front of the eye. Head and bill less elongated than in other auks. Wings rounded with dark undersides. "Thighs" dark. Flight fluttering and energic, with shifting weight and angle.

Sound:

Deep, but not so coarse as Razorbill. Smoother and more gliding changes in pitch, like a "slow-motion" laugh or distant chainsaw; "aaaahrrr, aahr, ahr arh".

Contact call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:zanzamos, Licence,Link.

Sounds:Recorded by Hans Petter Kristoffersen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Small, compact lark with finch-like bill. 30% smaller than Skylark. Primaries almost completely covered by tertiaries, as opposed to Lesser Short-toed Lark. Upperparts typical lark-like, while underparts are almost unstreaked. Most individuals shows small, black shoulder patch. Bill deep, but pointed. Base colour variable, but western birds usually warmer brown than eastern. Lacks crest. Crown is rather flat (often rufous) and head squarish. Tail black with buff centre and pure white outer feathers. Often forms finch-like flocks when not breeding. Flight moderately undulating.

Sound:

Contact call a dry, short and House Sparrow-like "chirrrp", with a high-pitched component. Shorter than Skylark, and crisper and straighter than Lesser Short-toed Lark. Song usually performed high in the air, but can also be heard from the ground. 2 types of song. Either in short phrases with a typical duration of 1-3 seconds each, with stuttering introduction, and falling cadence. Other song type more confusing and harder to identify, consisting of a continuous stream of energic improvisation. Listen for interwoven contact calls, and lack of Lesser Crested Lark calls. Frequently mimicks other species.

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC