Horned Lark
(Eremophila alpestris)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRB, SNRN - Unranked Breeding and Nonbreeding |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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7″ to 7¼″ in length 12″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Open lands without trees: prairies, agricultural fields, weedy meadows, airports |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Mid-January to late November |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common to abundant migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Alaudidae (larks) | ||
Genus |
Eremophila (horned larks) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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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) |
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Synonyms |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this bird. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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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. |
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Bill Reynolds |
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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. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Horned Lark - Eremophila alpestris Jean-François Hic |
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| Horned Larks (Family Alaudidae) Don Delaney |
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| Eremophila alpestris (Horned Lark) Andrew Hoffman |
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| alouette hausse col- horned lark Richard et Diane |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Other Videos |
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| Prairie Life: Sod's Songster Carl Barrentine |
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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). |
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| Horned Lark Video Portrait Lang Elliott |
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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 |
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| Horned Lark Ricky L Jones |
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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. |
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| Horned Lark calling tavovalero |
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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... |
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| Horned Lark Scott Ramos |
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About
Published on Jan 19, 2016 Several dozen Horned Lark and Snow Buntings were foraging around a large feedlot on Cameron Lake Road. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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