Prairie Horned Larks are a sign of Impending Spring
March 4, 2001

Sparrow-sized brown birds that fly up from the edges of the roadside and alight in close-by fields are Prairie Horned Larks. their appearance is one of the earliest signs of the coming of spring. A flash of white-edged tail feathers may be the only clue to their identity. A closer look would reveal very characteristic features The head is adorned with fine black tufts, which when erected, give the bird its name. The head is conspicuously marked with white, black and yellow. A crescent -shaped patch of black crosses the upper chest. The throat is yellow and the under parts are white. It is a ground bird that walks instead of hopping like most other songbirds do.

Although they are probably the most numerous songbird in the world, they are not well known by many people. horned Larks, a single species, have as many as 17 variations that inhabit areas that encircle the globe. Two of these, the Northern Horned Lark and the Prairie Horned Lark are the races that are seen in our vicinity.

These are birds that prefer overgrazed, abused landscapes. Other sites are golf courses and airports. They seldom perch higher than a fence post. A clod of earth of a rock in an open field are favorite perches.

They nest early. As soon as there are at least two days in a row when the temperature averages 40 degrees, nesting is started. The female excavates a little hollow, usually up against a tuft of turf or a clod, which she lines with coarse grasses, then finishes off with a finer layer.

There may be times in March when the nest is snow covered, but until it is deeply covered for several days, the incubation of eggs is carried on. If the nest is destroyed, the female waits until another period of 40 degree weather occurs. Two broods may be raised before the vegetation of the chosen area gets tall.

Nests are almost impossible to find. It is only by careful watching and waiting that one might observe the birds comings and goings.

The flight of horned larks is distinctive. It is a choppy undulation consisting of three or four strokes interrupted by about two beats when the wings close and the bird drops.

The food of horned larks is largely weeds, seeds and a percentage of insects, making them valuable in agricultural settings.

The calls of the horned larks can be heard this time of year as a faint tinkling from nearby fields. It also has a flight song that is preceded by a climb into the air and ends with a headlong dive to earth with wings tightly folded.

A more northern, somewhat larger race of horned larks is seen during the winter when they appear in large flocks. A number of these flocks were observed during the Woodland Dunes winter bird count. These birds nest in the far north on desolate tracts of land covered only with mosses and lichens.

Watch for these little birds as they fly up from the roadside. Once they land in a field, they huddle down, mouse-like and are almost impossible to see. Find a picture that will introduce you to this little bird with "horns".