Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Also known as: Sky Lark, Skylark, Alosa Vulgar, Eurasian Sky Lark
Habitat
Ground
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
37 g
About This Species
Found in open farmland, grassland and coastal machair, it is best known for its prolonged, high hovering song flight rather than any dramatic plumage. Listen for the continuous, bubbling song delivered from often over 50 metres up, typically from spring through mid-summer during the breeding season. On the ground it forages inconspicuously among short vegetation, so a scan of open fields at dawn is more productive than searching for a perched bird.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Ground-nesting in open fields makes it highly sensitive to trampling and dogs off lead, so keep to paths and give nesting areas a wide berth during the breeding season.
- It and its nest are protected under wildlife law in the UK and across much of Europe, though the specifics of penalties and licensing exemptions vary by country.
- Avoid lingering near a bird giving alarm calls or a distraction display, as this usually signals a nest or chicks nearby.
Seasonal Activity
3,202,232 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 37 g
Photo
(c) Kim, Hyun-tae, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kim, Hyun-tae
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.