Horned Lark -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 7.5 inches | Wingspan: 13 inches | Seasonality: All Seasons |
| ID Keys: Black chest and cheek, white or yellow face, plain brown body with white underparts | ||
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Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
A hardy, all-season bird of open areas. Horned Larks are pretty common most of the year in much of South Dakota, but they're often quite hard to observe closely. Most of the year, they often go unnoticed. However, they're much more observable with a fresh snow on the ground, as they often congregate in numbers along gravel roadsides, along with Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings. The "horns" of the Horned Lark are in fact quite small, black tufts of feathers that can only be seen at very close range.
Habitat: Found in a wide variety of settings. Prefers open ground with little or no tall vegetation, such as barren or plowed fields, large grass lawns, and beaches.
Diet: Mostly seeds and waste grain in the winter. Insects are also eaten in great quantity during the summer.
Nesting: April through June
Breeding Map: Breeding bird survey map
Song: Horned Lark Song.
Migrations: Most U.S. populations except in the extreme north are permanent residents.
Similar Species: American Pipit
Further Information: USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Horned Lark
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Horned Lark"
Photo Information: January 20th, 2003 -- Farm field southwest of Sioux Falls -- Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Horned Lark photos.
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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
