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

Appearance:

Like a pale, giant Tawny Owl. Yellow bill, long, evenly barred, tail. Eyes dark. Facial disks pale, unmarked and almost fused, lacking the dividing wedge of Tawny Owl. In flight, note lack of pale base of primaries and much slower wing-beats than Tawny. Mild facial expression, but very aggressive at breeding ground.

Sound:

Song: 6 -10 evenly spaced "ho"'s, starting silently and gradually rising in volume and pitch. Also an accented "ho-ho, ho-ho-it, ho-ho", three middle notes ascending and the two notes before and after descending. A variety of barking social sounds.

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