Horned Lark

(Eremophila alpestris)

Conservation Status
Horned Lark
Photo by Bill Reynolds
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRB, SNRN - Unranked Breeding and Nonbreeding

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

7 to 7¼ in length

12 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Open lands without trees: prairies, agricultural fields, weedy meadows, airports

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

Mid-January to late November

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common to abundant migrant and breeder

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Passeriformes (perching birds)  
 

Family

Alaudidae (larks)  
 

Genus

Eremophila (horned larks)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Balkan Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris balcanica)

California Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris actia)

Central Mexican Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris chrysolaema)

Coahuila Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris lactea)

Colombian Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris peregrina)

Desert Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris leucolaema)

Dusky Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris merrilli)

Elwe’s Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris elwesi)

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris argalea)

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris kumerloevei)

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris nigrifrons)

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris przewalskii)

Hoyt’s Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris hoyti)

Island Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris insularis)

Kham Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris khamensis)

Lebanon Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris bicornis)

Long-billed Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris longirostris)

Magdalena Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris enertera)

Mohave Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris ammophila)

Montezuma Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris occidentalis)

Moroccan Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris atlas)

Northeast Mexican Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris diaphora)

Northern American Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris alpestris)

Northwest Mexican Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris aphrasta)

Oaxaca Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris oaxacae)

Oregon Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris lamprochroma)

Pallid Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris arcticola)

Pamir Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris albigula)

Prairie Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris praticola)

Przewalski’s Lark (Eremophila alpestris teleschowi)

Ruddy Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris rubea)

Saskatchewan Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris enthymia)

Scorched Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris adusta)

Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris flava)

Sierra Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris sierrae)

Sonora Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris leucansiptila)

Southern Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris penicillata)

St. Helens Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris alpina)

Steppe Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris brandti)

Streaked Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata)

Texas Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris giraudi)

Utah Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris utahensis)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Dan W. Andree

 
 

Horned Lark...

This little Horned Lark was fluffed up with some others out in rural Norman Co. Mn. 3-7-23

…One can see why it is called a horned lark with those little protruding feathers sticking up like little horns. Cute little birds but not always easy to get close enough to capture in photos or video.

  Horned Lark  
 

Bill Reynolds

 
 

The Horned Larks have been moving thru the area. Found this lone bird dusting itself along a dirt road, as I approached it moved off into the snow covered field. It just wouldn't let me get a better angle, but I'll work on that. For now here's two side views.

  Horned Lark  
           
    Horned Lark      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris
Jean-François Hic
 
  Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris  
  Horned Larks (Family Alaudidae)
Don Delaney
 
  Horned Larks (Family Alaudidae)  
  Eremophila alpestris (Horned Lark)
Andrew Hoffman
 
  Eremophila alpestris (Horned Lark)  
  alouette hausse col- horned lark
Richard et Diane
 
  alouette hausse col- horned lark  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Prairie Life: Sod's Songster
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 7, 2013

A male Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) sings from a clump of sod. Photographed at East Grand Forks, Minnesota (07 April 2013).

   
  Horned Lark Video Portrait
Lang Elliott
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 12, 2010

A video portrait of a singing Horned Lark, gathered just before sunset near Columbia, Missouri at the University's Bradford Farm Experimental Station. The male has a high-pitched tinkling song that cascades to a jumble at the end. At the end of the video, the male sings a more complex, extended song that goes on for nearly ten seconds before ending with the typical jumble.

© 2010 Lang Elliott
musicofnature.org

   
  Horned Lark
Ricky L Jones
 
   
 
About

Published on Feb 1, 2016

Horned Lark

Horicon Marsh Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin

Unlike most other larks, this is a distinctive-looking species on the ground, mainly brown-grey above and pale below, with a striking black and yellow face pattern. Except for the central feathers, the tail is mostly black, contrasting with the paler body; this contrast is especially noticeable when the bird is in flight. The summer male has black "horns", which give this species its American name. America has a number of races distinguished by the face pattern and back colour of males, especially in summer. The southern European mountain race Eremophila alpestris penicillata is greyer above, and the yellow of the face pattern is replaced with white.

Vocalizations are high-pitched, lisping or tinkling, and weak. The song, given in flight as is common among larks, consists of a few chips followed by a warbling, ascending trill.

-wiki

(C) Copyright Ricky L.Jones Photography 1995-2015 All rights reserved.

   
  Horned Lark calling
tavovalero
 
   
 
About

Published on Oct 13, 2015

Recorded at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Los Fresnos, Texas 2015-06-06

Eremophila alpestris,

Alondra Cornuda, (Spanish).

If you want to watch similar bird and other wildlife videos go to my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/tavovaler...

   
  Horned Lark
Scott Ramos
 
   
 
About

Published on Jan 19, 2016

Several dozen Horned Lark and Snow Buntings were foraging around a large feedlot on Cameron Lake Road.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this bird.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Dan W. Andree
3/7/2023

Location: rural Norman Co. Mn

This little Horned Lark was fluffed up with some others out in rural Norman Co. Mn. 3-7-23 …One can see why it is called a horned lark with those little protruding feathers sticking up like little horns. Cute little birds but not always easy to get close enough to capture in photos or video.

Horned Lark  
  Bill Reynolds
3/9/2020

Location: Numedal Township, Pennington Co., MN

The Horned Larks have been moving thru the area. Found this lone bird dusting itself along a dirt road, as I approached it moved off into the snow covered field. It just wouldn't let me get a better angle, but I'll work on that. For now here's two side views.

Horned Lark  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

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