Larks have more elaborate calls than most birds. These melodious sounds (to human ears) have ensured larks a prominent place in literature and music, especially the Skylark in northern Europe and the Crested Lark and Calandra Lark in southern Europe.
Most species build nests on the ground, usually cups of dead grass, but in some species more complicated and partly domed. Like many ground birds, most lark species have long hind claws, which are thought to provide stability while standing. Most have streaked brown plumage, some boldly marked with black or white. Their dull appearance camouflages them on the ground, especially when on the nest. They feed on insects and seeds; though adults of most species eat seeds primarily, Many species dig with their bills to uncover food. Some larks have heavy bills for cracking seeds open, while others have long, down-curved bills, which are especially suitable for digging.
Genus Alaemon
Lark,_Greater_Hoopoe- Alaemon alaudipes Found: north Africa, south Asia through India
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Sumweet Moghe 3)
The Belurs 4, 5) Tarique Sani
Lark,_Lesser_Hoopoe- Alaemon hamertoni Found: Somalia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3) Nik Borrow
Genus Alauda
Skylark also
Sky Lark Alauda arvensis Found: west North America, Europe, Asia, Africa
Image by: 1)
Daniel Pettersson 2)
Hiyashi Halso 3)
Sergey Yeliseev - Cyprus
4, 5) Omar Runolfsson - Denmark
SkyLark,_Oriental Alauda gulgula Found: Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3)
J M Garg - India
4, 5) Lin_Sun_Fong - Taiwan
SkyLark,_Raso Alauda razae Found: Raso inlet on Cape Verde Islands
Image by: 1) Justin Welbergen
Genus Ammomanes
Lark,_Bar-tailed Ammomanes cinctura Found: Morocco to Pakistan
Image by: 1)
John_Gould 2)
Mike_Prince - Morocco
Lark,_Desert Ammomanes deserti Found: northern Africa, southern Asia to Pakistan
Image by:
1, 2, 3) Rachid H - Egypt 4)
Koshy_Koshy - India
Lark,_Rufous-tailed Ammomanes phoenicurus Found: India
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3) J M Garg in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India. 4)
Koshy_Koshy
Genus Ammomanopsis - 1 species
Lark,_Gray's Ammomanopsis grayi Found: Angola, Namibia
Image by:
1)
Alastair Rae 2)
Chantelle_Bosch - Namib Desert
Genus Calandrella
Lark,_Blanford's Calandrella blanfordi Found: northeast Africa, Arabia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Sergio_Maria_Bianchi - Eritrea 3)
Jason_Anderson - Eritrea
Lark,_Erlanger's Calandrella erlangeri Found: Ethiopia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Nik_Borrow 3)
Sergey_Yeliseev
2) Juvenile
Lark,_Greater Short-toed Calandrella brachydactyla Found: southern Europe, northwest Africa, Asia
Image by:
1)
Hiyashi Haka 2, 3) JV Verde - Portugal 4)
Augtin Povendano
Lark,_Hume's Calandrella acutirostris Found: Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Francesco Veronesi 3)
Dibyendu_Ash - India 3,
4) Imran_Shah - Pakistan
Lark,_Lesser Short-toed Calandrella rufescens Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Image by:
1, 2) Juan Emilo 3)
Andrej Chudy
Lark,_Red-capped Calandrella cinerea Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
William Nortje 3)
Blake Matheson 4)
Ian White 5)
Derek_Keats - South Africa
Lark,_Sand Calandrella raytal
Found: south Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Vijay Ismavel
Lark,_Somali_Short-toed Calandrella somalica Found:
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Paul_Donald - Ethiopia
Genus Calendulauda
Some of these red-backed species were formerly considered part of genus
Mirafra.
Lark,_Barlow's Calendulauda barlowi Found: Namibia, South Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Per Holmen
Lark,_Dune Calendulauda erythrochlamys Found: Namibia
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2, 3, 4) Jerry Oldenettel
Lark,_Fawn-colored Calendulauda africanoides Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Jo Mur 3)
Bernard_Dupont - South Africa 4)
Francesco_Veronesi - - Kenya
Lark,_Foxy Calendulauda burra Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Carol Foil - Kenya
Lark,_Karoo Calendulauda albescens Found: South Africa
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Andrew Smith 3)
Alan Manson
Lark,_Pink-breasted Calendulauda poecilosterna Found: Kenya
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Francesco_Veronesi 3)
Nick_Athanas - Kenya 4)
Nik_Borrow - Tanzania 5)
Carol Foil - Kenya
Lark,_Red Calendulauda burra Found: South Africa, Namibia
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Alan Manson - South Africa
Lark,_Sabota Calendulauda sabota Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Charlie Westeinen in Namibia 3)
Frank Vassen 4)
Bernard_Dupont - South Africa
Genus Certhilauda
The long-billed larks have long, slender, down-curved bills.
Lark,_Agulhas_Long-billed Certhilauda brevirostris Found: South Africa
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Ragnhild Crawford
Lark,_Benguela Certhilauda benguelensis Found: southwest Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Katie_Reese - Angola 3)
hardaker coza
Lark,_Cape also
Cape Long-billed Lark Certhilauda curvirostris Found: South Africa
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2) Andrew Smith
Lark,_Eastern_Long-billed Certhilauda semitorquata Found:
Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Alan Manson - South Africa
Lark,_Karoo_Long-billed Certhilauda subcoronata Found: Namibia, South Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Johann du Preez - Zambia 3)
Ian White 4)
Alan Manson - South Africa
Lark,_Short-clawed Certhilauda chuana Found: Botswana, South Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3, 4) Ian White
Genus Chersomanes
Lark,_Beasley's Chersomanes beesleyi Found: northeast Tanzania
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2) Per_Holmen
Lark,_Spike-heeled Chersomanes albofasciata
Found: Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Ian White 3)
Jerry Oldenettel - Namibia 4)
Alastair Rae 5)
Mike Richardson - South Africa
6, 7) Francesco Veronesi - Namibia
Genus Chersophilus - 1 species
Lark,_Dupont's Chersophilus duponti Found: Spain, France, north Africa
Image by:
1)
Mike Prince - Morocco
Genus Eremalauda
Lark,_Dunn's Eremalauda dunni Found: northern Africa
Image by: 1)
Halleer1962 2, 3) Brendan_Ryan - Morocco 4)
Opisska - western Sahara
Genus Eremophila
Lark,_Horned also
Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Found: North America,
Europe, Asia
Image by: 1)
Sergey Yeliseev - Russia 2)
Dick Daniels - the
North Carolina Zoo 3)
Teddy Llovet - California 4)
Sandy
Cole -
NC Zoo 5)
Andreas Trepte 6)
Alan D. Wilson - Palouse Falls, Washington
1) Juvenile
Lark,_Temminck's Eremophila bilopha Found: northern Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Brendan_Ryan - Western Sahara 3)
Opisska - Jordan
Genus
Eremopterix
The Sparrow-larks belong to the lark farmily but have sparrow-like appearance.
Lark,_Ashy-crowned Sparrow- Eremopterix grisea Found: Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3, 4) J M Garg
2, 2) Female 4) Male
Lark,_Black-crowned Sparrow- Eremopterix nigriceps Found: northern Africa, southern Asia to India
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3, 4) Cesare Dolzani - Yemen 5) ChriKo 6)
cesare_dolzani - Yemen
2, 3) Female 4 - 6) Male
Lark,_Black-eared Sparrow- Eremopterix australis Found: southern Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Andrew Smith 3)
Alan Manson - South Africa
2) Female left; Male right
Lark,_Chestnut-backed Sparrow- Found:
Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Dick Daniels - specimen in
Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 3) Charles_J_Sharp 4)
Alan Manson - South Africa 5)
Ian_White - Botswana
6)
Arno Meintjes
Lark,_Chestnut-headed_Sparrow- Eremopterix signatus Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2) George Lodge 3)
Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia
Lark,_Fischer's_Sparrow- Eremopterix leucopareia Found:
Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Dick Daniels - specimen in
Nairobi National Museum, Kenya
4, 7) Nik_Borrow 3)
Daniele Columbo - Kenya
5, 6) Dick Daniels in Tanzania
2 - 4) Female 5 - 7) Male
Lark,_Gray-backed_Sparrow- Eremopterix verticalis Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3) Ian White - Botswana 4)
Johann du Preez - Botswana
Genus Galerida
Lark,_Crested Galerida cristata Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Image by: 1) Imrun_Shah - Pakistan 2)
J M Garg - India 32)
Koshy_Koshy 4)
Valter Jacinto - Portugal 5)
Jose Sousa - Portugal
Lark,_Large-billed also
Southern Thick-billed Lark Galerida magnirostris Found:
Africa
Image by: 1)
Francesco Veronesi 2, 3) Dick Daniels near De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa 3)
Lark,_Malabar also
Malabar Crested Lark Galerida malabarica Found:
western India
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Shantanu_Kuveskar 3)
Sandeep 4)
Sivam Design 5)
Sergey Yeliseev
2) Pair 3 - 5) Male
Lark,_Sun Galerida modesta Found: central Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Ron Knight 3)
Nik_Borrow
Lark,_Sykes's also
Tawny Lark Galerida deva Found: India
Image by: 1)
Nidhin Poothully 2)
Raju_Kasambe
Lark,_Thekla Galerida theklae Found: Europe (Spain), northern Africa
Image by:
1, 2) Brendan_Ryan - Morocco 3)
Agustin_Povedano
Genus Heteromirafra
Lark,_Archer's Heteromirafra archeri Found: Ethiopia, Somalia
Image by:
1, 2) Nik Borrow
Lark,_Rudd's Heteromirafra ruddi Found: South Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Maans_Booysen
Genus Lullula - 1 species
Woodlark also
Wood Lark Lullula arborea Found: Europe, Asia
Image by:
1, 2, 3) Andrej_Chudy
Genus Melanocorypha
Lark,_Bimaculated Melanocorypha bimaculata Found: Turkey to central Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3) Tsrique Sani
Lark,_Black Melanocorypha yeltoniensis Found: Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Dave Curtis - Wales (rare
3, 4) Francesco Veronesi - Kazakistan
Lark,_Calandra Melanocorypha calandra Found: Europe, Asia
Image by: 1)
Gustav Duran 2) Durzan Cirano 3)
Francesco Veronesi - Spain 4)
Vitalii Khustochka - South Ukraine
1) Juvenile
Lark,_Mongolian Melanocorypha mongolica Found: China, Mongolia, Russia
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Momotarou2012 3)
Punkmorten - Beijing Zoo
2) Museum specimen in Tolkyo
Lark,_Tibetan Melanocorypha maxima Found: China, India
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Brendan_Ryan - Sichuan
Lark,_White-winged Melanocorypha leucoptera Found: Asia
Image by: 1) 1
Haller1062 2)
Francesco Veronesi - Kazakistan
Genus Mirafra
Bushlark,_Australasian also
Horsfield's_Bushlark Mirafra javanica Found: Australia, Southeast Asia
Image by: 1)
patrickkavanagh 2)
Brian_McCauley 3)
David_Cook
Bushlark,_Bengal Mirafra assamica Found: southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 4) JM Garg - West Bengal 3)
Imran_Shah - Pakistan 5)
Savi.odl
Bushlark,_Burmese Mirafra microptera Found: Southeast Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3, 4) LonelyShrimp - Myanmar
Bushlark,_Indochinese Mirafra erythrocephala Found: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Michel van. der. Linde - Thailand
BushLark,_Jerdon's Mirafra affinis Found: India
Image by: 1)
Mohan Kemparaju - India 2)
Yathin 3)
Sandeep Somasekharan
BushLark,_Indian Mirafra erythroptera Found: south Asia, mainly India
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Balaji Venkatesh 3)
Raju_Kasambe 4)
Prashanth
Lark,_Angola Found: central Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Maans_Booysen
Lark,_Ash's Mirafra ashi Found: Somalia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
hbw.com
Lark,_Cape Clapper Mirafra apiata Found: southern Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Alan Manson - South Africa
Lark,_Collared Mirafra collaris Found: east Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Henrik_Gronvold 3)
John_Kessy
Lark,_Eastern_Clapper Mirafra fasciolata Found: southern Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Charles_J_Sharp
Lark,_Flappet Mirafra rufocinnamomea Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Nigel_Voaden - DR Congo 3)
Hans Olfsson - Uganda 4)
Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, Kenya 5)
Charles_J_Sharp - Uganda
Lark,_Friedmann's Mirafra pulpa Found: east Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Nik_Borrow - Kenya
Lark,_Gillett's Mirafra gilletti Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia
Image by:
1) 1)
Haller1962 2, 3) Nik Borrow - Ethiopia
Lark,_Kordofan Mirafra cordofanica Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Joseph Wolf 3)
Tim_Wacher - Niger
Lark,_Madagascar Mirafra hova Found: Madagascar
Image by: 1) Haller1962 2)
Zak_Pohlen 3
) Dick Daniels - near Morondava, Madagascar 4)
Francesco_Veronesi
Lark,_Melodious Mirafra cheniana Found: Africa
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Andrew Smith
Lark,_Monotonous Mirafra passerina Found: southern Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2, 3) Derek Keats - South Africa
Lark,_Red-winged Mirafra hypermetra Found: Africa
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Joseph Mochoge - Eburu Kenya 3)
Peter Steward - Kenya 4)
Frederic Salein - Kenya
Lark,_Rufous-naped Mirafra africana Found:
Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Derek_Keats - South Africa
3) Carol Foil - Rift Valley, Kenya
4, 5) Joseph Mochoge - Eburu Kenya
Lark,_Rusty Mirafra rufa Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Zamiruddin_Faisal
Lark,_Singing Bush- Mirafra cantillans Found: Africa, south Asia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Koshy_Koshy - India
3, 4, 5) Dick Daniels - Nairobi National Park, Kenya 6) Joby Joseph
Lark,_Somali Mirafra somalica Found: Somalia
Image by:
1)
Haller1962 2)
Herbert Goodchild 3)
Nik Borrow
Lark,_White-tailed Mirafra albicauda Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Henrik_Gronvold 2, 3) Rickard Holgersson 4)
Nik Borrow - Uganda
Lark,_Williams Mirafra williamsi Found: Kenya
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Dave_Curtis - Kenya
Genus Pinarocorys
Lark,_Dusky Pinarocorys nigricans Found: Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Bernard_Dupont - South Africa 3)
Jerry_Oldenettel - Namibia
Lark,_Rufous-rumped Pinarocorys erythropygia Found: central Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Nik_Borrow
Genus Pseudalaemon - species
Lark,_Short-tailed Pseudalaemon fremantlii Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania
Image by: 1) Haller1962 2)
Dick Daniels - specimen in
Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 3)
Demetrius Kessy - Tanzania
Genus Rhamphocoris - 1 species
Lark,_Thick-billed Rhamphocoris clotbey Found: dry areas of northern Africa
Image by:
1)
Alfosse - Morocco
1) Male
Genus Spizocorys
Lark,_Botha's Spizocorys fringillaris Found: South Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Per_Holmen - South Africa
Lark,_Masked Spizocorys personata Found: Ethiopia, Kenya
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Dick Daniels - specimen in
Nairobi National Museum, Kenya
3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Kenya
Lark,_Obbia Spizocorys obbiensis Found: Somalia
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
hbw.com
Lark,_Pink-billed Spizocorys conirostris Found:
Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Ron Knight
Lark,_Sclater's Spizocorys sclateri Found: Namibia, South Africa
Image by: 1)
Haller1962 2)
Ian_White - South Africa 3)
Per_Holmen - South Africa
Lark,_Stark's Spizocorys starki Found: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
Image by: 1)
Alastair Rae