Scientific name:
Arlauda arvensis

Natural spread:
Europe, Asia, Canada, New Zealand

skylarks is widespread in Europe and Asia, could be settled also in Canada and New Zealand, however. Corresponding habitats of the new world are busy through the ear-lark (Eremophila alpestris) naturally. Skylarks nest in its spread-area of open terrain, from the dunes at the sea as far as to the alpine mats. After the incubation, they move in large flocks southwards from October, partially as far as into the Mediterranean-countries. From these hibernation-areas, they return already beginning of February. In Germany, but not in all European countries, the skylarks are protected. Still they were caught in large quantities in the last century and were consumed.

Shape The relatively big skylark (18 cm of length) roved brown and wears a small head-bonnet. A white outside-hem is in the flight to be recognized by the quite long tail. As with all larks, the plumage of both sexes is not differently colored. The best mark is the typical Singflug, with which the male climbs highly into the air.

Food Skylarks live on green plants, seeds and insects.

Way of life Directly after its arrival in February, the males delimit its precinct strictly still before the females (approximately 10 days later) arrive. Frequently, they cover the same precinct as in the previous year. It includes the size of a morning at least. The male rises virtually vertically with strongly spread tail against the wind, with what it sings continuously. It circles for some time in up to 50 m of height over its precinct and doesn't fall silent to the earth also with the return flight. Longer than 5 minutes, this Singflug can last; the long-prolonged, piping sounds becomes rewrite also as "Tirilieren." The lark probably is the single bird, who sings almost exclusively in the flight.

Reproduction Before the pair-formation and during the two incubation, the chants gain its climax. Remain a lured female in the precinct, a solid pair-relationship and to the performs courtship display occurs the male turns towards its raised tail the female with what on the ground and trembles with the wings.

The storage space of the first egg into one of the female selected and to one bowl-shaped nest of developed ground-hollow takes place 3-4 days after the mating; a nest usually consists of 3-4 white ones, powerfully brown speckled eggs. The eggs are also hatched by the female alone in approximately 14 days. The feeding the boys takes over both parents again until the squabs became fully-fledged after 16 days. Two or three yearly-broods are the rule.