Field Guide
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Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Not yet photographed by the community
Farmland bird famous for sustained hovering song flight.
Species Profile
Red List (UK Birds of Conservation Concern)
- Lifespan
- 6–8 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 18–19 cm, wingspan 30–36 cm; 25–50 g
- Habitat
- Open grasslands, farmland, heathland, and cultivated fields with low or sparse vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout the UK, though less common in upland areas. Largely resident, with continental birds arriving in autumn; populations have declined significantly since the 1990s.
- Diet
- Seeds, insects, and small invertebrates; diet shifts seasonally, with more insects taken during breeding season.
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, kestrels, hen harriers, and occasionally crows; ground predators include foxes and stoats.
- Mating Season
- April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch size 3–4 eggs; incubation period 11–15 days; fledging at 9–12 days. Usually 2 broods per season, sometimes 3.
- Behaviour
- Skylarks are renowned for their spectacular aerial song-flights, singing whilst hovering or climbing high above grassland. Highly territorial males perform elaborate displays in spring. They are gregarious in winter, forming loose flocks.
- •The male's song-flight can last over an hour and reach heights of 300 metres, making it one of Britain's most iconic bird sounds.
- •Skylarks nest on the ground in a shallow scrape, making them vulnerable to agricultural disturbance and predation.
- •UK skylark populations have declined by over 70% since the 1990s, primarily due to intensified farming practices and loss of suitable habitat.
- •They are capable of producing up to 300 different song phrases, which they string together during their aerial performances.
- •Skylarks have been immortalised in British culture, most famously in Vaughan Williams' orchestral work 'The Lark Ascending'.
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