Fun Lark Facts For Kids

There is nothing better than hearing the melodious song sung by birds while in nature. One such beautiful and euphonious songbirds are larks! There are over 90 species of this songbird, and they are found throughout different parts of the world. Africa has the most number of native birds. However, some of the birds are also found in northern and southern America. Southern Africa has at least 22 types of larks! Though primarily brown in color, they sometimes also have yellow or orange shades.

Larks prefer habitats of grasslands, tundra regions, and areas with sparse vegetation. They build nests on the ground using dried leaves, twigs, grass, etc. Female larks usually take care of the nests. But both the parents protect it. They forage for food on the ground. Their habitat mainly consists of small insects and seeds. The baby larks are fed seeds from their birth to long after their fledging. Unlike other birds, larks can sing while flying too! During breeding, males attract females by hopping on the ground, singing from perched branches, and display flights.

For more relatable content, check out these western meadowlark facts and eastern meadowlark facts.
 

What type of animal is a lark?

A lark is a kind of bird of the Alaudidae family. The horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) is found in North America. Habitats for various other species of larks, such as Horsfield’s bush larks, are native to Australia.

What class of animal does a lark bird belong to?

Larks belong to class Aves.

How many lark birds are there in the world?

The total population of all the larks is not available. But, approximately, horned larks are believed to have a breeding population of 120 million.

Where does a lark bird live?

Larks live in deserts and farms. They also seek shelter on small grasslands and can be found in alpine tundra regions as well.

What is a lark bird’s habitat?

Horned larks prefer to live in short grasslands, deserts, or places of sparse vegetation. They also find habitat on lands cleared by humans. Larks are found in the open countryside in tropical as well as temperate regions. Though they live in many parts of the world, many types of larks live in dry regions.

Who do lark birds live with?

Horned larks usually forage in small groups. They also remain in pairs or small groups during the breeding season. But during winter, they form large flocks and often mix with other flocks of birds such as snow buntings, tree sparrows, etc.

How long does a lark bird live?

On average, larks live for a life span of two to five years. But, unfortunately, their yearly mortality rate is about 33%.

How do they reproduce?

The species reproduction is season-specific. Usually have more clutches if there is an abundance of insects or food sources. In that case, larks have three to five clutches. Larks species are monogamous most of the time. The male bird performs display flight and sings to attract female birds. They also sing from perches, hop on the ground and ruffle their plumage. Sometimes the female bird also sings when the pair formation occurs. Sometimes courtship feeding occurs as well.

Larks build a small nest, usually in the hollow ground using grass, twigs, leaves, etc. They lay eggs in this nest, and both parents defend the nest by fighting and singing. The incubation period lasts for a range of 15-16 days. After ten more days, the baby larks continue to be fed by parents in a nest for 18-20 more days before the birds leave the nest.

What is their conservation status?

The lark species are not extinct. Therefore, they are under Least Concern for IUCN conservation status.

What do lark birds look like?

Larks are small to medium-sized birds, usually brown in color. They are known for their song singing abilities. They prefer living close to the ground. Some kinds can be orange, gray, or yellow shades. Their bill varies with the kind of sub-species. They can range from narrow and conical to long and curling down.

They have strong and long hind claws, and their plumage might be striped or plain. Their length is approximately 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm). They have long tertial feathers. They use their bills to dig out food such as seeds and bugs from the ground. Their strong hind claws are said to support them while standing on the ground.

How cute are they?

Larks are small brown birds of the family Alaudidae. Their attractiveness comes from their calls and singing pleasant songs. There are various species of larks, and in literature, especially Shakespeare, larks are a symbol of joy.

How do they communicate?

They 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.

How big is a lark bird?

The birds are 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm) in length, which makes them almost the same size as a canary!

How fast can a lark bird fly?

The maximum flight speed of the skylark (Alauda arvensis) species is found to be around 22.1 mph (35.6 kph).

How much does a lark bird weigh?

There are many species of larks in the family Alaudidae. For example, the horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) weighs 1.1 oz (31 g), while the skylark (Alauda arvensis) weighs around the range of 0.6-1.9 oz (17-55 g). In general, the weight of these young birds ranges from 0.6-2.2 oz (17- 62 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 lark birds.

What would you call a baby lark bird?

The young brown songbird is called a chick.

What do they eat?

They eat many species of insects such as mayflies, beetles, and grasshoppers. They also eat grass, seeds, buds, etc. The baby lark is mainly fed on seeds by their parents. Low quality of seeds in their diet may cause their feathers to fall out in the first molt.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous. However, they can get territorial when their nests are threatened. In spite of that, they are sometimes even kept as pets in China!

Would they make a good pet?

They are usually not kept as pets. But in China, sometimes they are caged to make them mimic other songbirds.

Did you know...

Larks sing to find a mate, to deter enemies, and also to communicate to other birds. They are mentioned in literature as well, especially due to their extravagant singing abilities. They symbolize joy and cheerfulness.

Different types of lark bird

There are around 99 species of lark bird found around various parts of the world like the UK, New Zealand, North America, and Africa. Africa has the most number of native species found. Some species are the horned larks and the field lark birds (Sturnella manga).

What are lark birds known for?

They are known for their melodic song singing. They also symbolize joy and happiness. Horned larks found in North American land sings song early morning, making a soft start to the day!

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 Kirtland's warbler fun facts and rock sparrow facts pages.

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