Crested lark: photo and description

The crested lark is a vociferous bird, able to copy the voices of other birds. In our region it is known quite well. There were even times when she was affectionately called "neighbor", and all because she liked to settle near people. So, let's talk about what we know about our pirate friend.

General information about the view

The crested lark belongs to the order of the Passerines, the Lark family. To date, there are about 5 subspecies of these birds. Divide them according to the natural habitat. For example, there is a Ukrainian, Central Asian, North Iranian lark and so on.

However, geographical boundaries practically do not affect the appearance of birds. Therefore, the description below is suitable for all representatives of this species. The same rule applies to the habits of the crested lark. Bird photos are also presented in the review.

Areal

This lark representative lives in the southern boreal zone. Its nests can be found from the south-west of Europe to the coast of the Yellow Sea. In particular, large populations of these birds live in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia and the Caucasus. Speaking about Central Asia, the crested lark is found in China, Korea, India and Nepal.

It should be mentioned that two subspecies of these birds live in Africa. Here their area passes along the border of the White Nile, the Sahara and Sierra Leone. At the same time, the population of African larks almost in no way concedes to the number of European and Asian brothers.

Appearance

It is a medium sized bird. Crested lark rarely grows more than 18 cm in height, and its weight on average varies between 40-50 grams. On the head is a small crest, so the bird got its name. No less catchy is the beak of the lark: it is slightly bent down and strongly protrudes the contours of the head.

The wings seem giant in relation to the body. Thus, one wing can reach 10 cm in length. Due to this there is an illusion that the bird hovering in the sky has much larger dimensions than it actually is. Her paws are very muscular, as this species often makes long walks in search of food.

Most of the larks are painted in dark-brown plumage. It should be noted that the brisket and neck of the bird have lighter tones. Such inconspicuous color is vital to the crested lark, as it helps to hide in the grass from the ubiquitous predators.

Features of behavior

Crested larks live in small groups. Often they consist of two adult birds and their descendants. I mean, on average, there are no more than 4-7 individuals in their pack. However, if there is a constant source of food in the district, larks can be united in a much larger community.

We must understand that this is a very uncomfortable bird. She feels equally well both in the neighborhood with people, and among the god of the forgotten desert. And yet most of the crested larks prefer to nest in meadows or in the steppe. This is due to the fact that such an environment is optimal for them.

It is also important to remember that the crested lark is a sedentary bird. Their flocks do not fly south, with the advent of winter. In addition, they are very sentimental in relation to their territory. Birds rarely leave their habitual land. Only a lack of food or a threat from predators can make them start looking for a new home.

In a symbiosis with a man, the lark acquires a number of very unusual habits. First, he ceases to be afraid of such an unusual company. Secondly, if the farm has a cowshed or a pigsty, the bird will most likely settle next to it. In this case, this behavior is due not only to the fact that the feathered person has open access to food, but also because he uses the heat of animals, so as not to freeze in winter.

What does the crested lark eat?

The ration of the crested lark is very diverse. He can eat both plant food and hunt for small insects. At the same time, the bird prefers to prey on its prey on the ground, and not in the air. Running from place to place, she carefully examines the earth, trying to find something to eat.

For example, on ordinary sunny days the lark searches for bugs and ants. A long beak is ideal for pulling insects out of their hiding places. And its curved shape allows you to easily split even the most durable chitinous shell. However, the crested lark most of all loves wet weather, because on such days he can eat with earthworms.

As for plant food, this bird eats almost all kinds of cereals that it can find. In addition, with the advent of winter, the lark passes strictly to vegetarian food. He searches for plots, with a minimal cover of snow, and begins digging out roots and frozen berries.

Skylark crested: singing as a way to survive

The voice of the lark is his calling card. Thanks to him, the bird is recognized even in cases when it is not visible. In its melody, the voice of the crested lark is second only to the nightingale. In addition, this bird can whistle not only its own motives, but also skillfully imitates the language of other birds.

More importantly, however, the bird's voice is its main weapon. Few know, but at the time of danger, the lark produces a piercing cry that disorients the enemy. This tactic allows you to gain time to escape or an unexpected counterattack. True, such a sound attack only works once, and therefore an experienced predator skillfully confronts it.

Marriage Games

Another important purpose of the voice of a lark is the urge to mate. With the advent of the first spring heat, the birds begin to look for a second half. In this case, old couples quite often reunite, because they live next to each other. As for the young, each male has to prove to the female its superiority over the competitors.

Singing battles take place on the ground. Their essence lies in the fact that males surround the female and begin to "dance" around her: they spread their wings, shake their tail and stretch their necks forward. All this action is accompanied by continuous love serenades. The winner in this gentleman's duel is the one who will last the longest time near the lady or the one to whom she herself will give her preference.

Reproduction

In the families of crested larks, all the hard work falls on the shoulders of women. After all, they have to build a nest for the offspring and take care of it. In this case, the house itself is erected on the ground, and not on a tree. For this purpose, they use any improvised material: grass, dry branches, spiders and so on.

It is also curious that the crested lark brings two offspring in a year. For the first time the female incubates up to six chicks, in the second - up to three or four. If, for some reason, the masonry is destroyed, the bird will soon lay several eggs again. Chicks themselves are born after 10-14 days.

Caring for the young is completely taken care of by the mother. She feeds them at least three times a day. Thus chicks eat only animal food, akin to beetles and worms. On the 9th day after the birth, the kids are already quietly leaving the nest and are independently looking for prey on the ground. And after 3 weeks, they become completely independent and leave their parents.

Natural enemies

There are many animals, only thinking about how to catch a crested lark. The most dangerous enemies can be categorized as cats, snakes, mongooses, larger birds and a couple of species of spiders. However, even by combining all their efforts, they will not be able to affect the population of crested larks as much as a person.

Bird and man

Although the crested lark is not on the list of endangered species, its numbers are falling rapidly every year. Especially it concerns the South of Europe. Blame the expansion of human possessions. And if in the olden times larks could find a common language with people, now they do not get it.

And all because, firstly, because of the use of herbicides and pesticides, birds can not eat agricultural plants. Secondly, the lawn grass, so familiar to our parks and squares, is completely unsuitable as a food. And thirdly, today only a few keep livestock, which, again, restricts birds to potential habitats.

Such an egregious situation is good only for Europe. In other countries there are still plenty of places where the crested lark still lives abundantly: in Central Asia and Africa, the number of birds is within the norm. Considering this, naturalists are fed up with the fact that in the future this kind of feathered will still be able to recover and regain its former population.