Fun Desert Lark Facts For Kids

The desert lark bird (Ammomanes deserti) is a medium-sized, big-headed, and long-billed lark that grows to a size of 6.3-6.7 in (16-17 cm). There are almost 22 subspecies known of this species. As with desert sand and rocky surfaces, it has the same description of color, which is pale, sand-colored, and brownish. The plumage is reddish-brown in color. This species of bird is found in the desert and semi-desert range that is dry and stony habitats. It is the native of Africa as it is mainly found in the Sahara desert, Morocco, and Mauritania. Their distribution is also in the range of Somalia and Western India. Desert lark birds are generally encountered in small flocks or as solitary birds and are not very social. The clutch consists of three to five eggs. This bird nests on the ground, on tussocks or stones, with a rim of pebbles around the edge of the nest. After breeding, birds may build nests under tussocks or stones, which provide shelter from predators. The diet of this species is grass seeds and insects. Their song is mellow and a little squeaky. It sounds like choo-wee.

If you enjoy reading about desert lark, do check out interesting facts about the Western meadowlark and Eastern meadowlark.

What type of animal is a desert lark?

The desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) is a type of bird from the Alaudidae family of the larks. Their diet is grass seeds, leaves, fruit, flowers, and insects. There are a total of 22 subspecies recognized so far. Ammomanes deserti is found in the range from Morocco to Western India. The sand flats and rocky terrain of desert and semidesert areas are their natural habitats.

What class of animal does a desert lark belong to?

Desert larks belong to class Aves.

How many desert larks are there in the world?

The total population of the desert larks is not available.

Where does a desert lark live?

Africa is the native land of this species, as it is mostly found in the Sahara desert, Morocco, and Mauritania. Somalia and Western India are also home to this species.

What is a desert lark's habitat?

Desert larks prefer to live in arid and semi-arid climatic areas. They can be easily found in the habitat near sand plains and rocky slopes. They prefer dry baron landscapes that receive intense sunshine and little rain. During the breeding season, they nest near sunshades and where vegetation is available for their diet, like grass seeds.

Who do desert larks live with?

Desert larks are not very sociable, so they usually live in small packs or alone. They are generally in pairs or small groups during the breeding season. These birds also nest in the lizard's burrow as they can't burrow their own.

How long does a desert lark live?

The average lifespan of desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) is two to five years.

How do they reproduce?

Ammomanes deserti are solitary breeders that defend nesting territories. Most birds are ground nesters near vegetation and rocks for sunshade and wind protection. A nest is often lined with plant down or feathers. Nests contain grass, plant fibers, forbs, bark, dead leaves and sedges, and are sometimes lined with plant down or feathers. Incubation and brooding are mostly done by females, and both adults take turns in feeding the young. It is common for males to perform display flights, and some sing from perches prominently located. Females may also sing during pair formation. Sometimes courtship feeding occurs as well. The incubation lasts 10-16 days, and the clutch is usually between three and five. Eggs are smooth, light blue or white with gray or olive-brown spots.

What is their conservation status?

The desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) species are not extinct. Therefore, they are under Least Concern for IUCN conservation status.

What do desert larks look like?

Desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) birds are medium-sized, big-headed, and have long bills. They are larger than lark sparrows. The plumage of this bird is rather dull and can range from quite pale to quite dark. According to this description, sandy-colored birds are found more commonly in the desert sand, greyer birds are found in rocky regions, and the blackest birds are found in deserts that are dominated by basalt. Their plumage is reddish-brown in color. The desert lark lacks the clearly defined terminal black band on the tail of the bar-tailed lark, and sometimes the wings and tail have some rufous coloration. It does, however, have a diffuse dark patch on its tail.

How cute are they?

Desert larks (Ammomanes deserti) are small brown birds of the Alaudidae family. They are attractive because of their calls and their singing pleasant songs.

How do they communicate?

Ammomanes deserti communicate by singing songs. They also communicate by raising feathers on their heads during mating calls. The males sometimes also display flight to attract females. They can also be seen to hop up and down on the ground and sing while flying as a way of communication. There's a whistling and dulcet quality to the song.

How big is a desert lark?

The birds are 6.3-6.7 in (16-17 cm) in length; it appears to be similar to the bar-tailed lark.

How fast can a desert lark fly?

The maximum flight speed of the desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) species is found to be around 22.1 mph (35.6 kph). They fly at great heights.

How much does a desert lark weigh?

The weight of desert lark species is around 0.04-0.06 lb (20-26 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name for male and female species. However, they are referred to as male or female desert lark birds.

What would you call a baby desert lark?

The baby desert lark is called a chick.

What do they eat?

The desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) of the Alaudidae family eats grass seeds and a variety of insects like spiders, paper wasp, grasshopper, and flies, especially during the breeding season.

Are they friendly?

These birds species, Ammomanes deserti, are friendly but are territorial during the breeding season.

Would they make a good pet?

Ammomanes deserti species, along with their subspecies, are not usually kept as pets. But traditionally, in China, they are kept as pets. They are caged to mimic other songbirds.

Did you know...

The desert lark (Ammomanes deserti) is a species that does not require much water to survive. It can live in a dry, hot, and stony habitat. This species of the Alauda genus does not migrate apart from local movements in the arid and semi-arid desert range.

It is also known as desert finch lark and sand lark.

Types of desert lark

There are around 22 subspecies belonging to the family Alaudidae and Alauda genus. They are found in various ranges from Morocco to Western India. Africa has the most native species distribution. Some species are the Algerian desert lark, Red Sea desert lark, Danakil desert lark, Indian desert lark, and Saharan desert lark. They are mostly found in the dry habitat of southern Algeria and the north Somalia range.

What sound does the desert lark make?

'Choo-wee, churee, chacha wooee' is a soft song that is sung by the birds from the ground, from the top of a boulder, or during undulating flight. Whistling and dulcet tones accompany the song.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our horned lark facts and lark sparrow facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable desert lark coloring pages.