Horned Lark

The horned, or shore, lark is 16–20 cm long with a wingspan of 30–34 cm, weighing 28–48 g. Unlike most larks it is distinctive on the ground, mainly brown-grey above and pale below, with a striking black and yellow face pattern. Except for the central feathers the tail is mostly black, contrasting with the paler body in flight. It is found across the northern hemisphere, and in Eurasia breeds above the tree line in mountains and the far north (Wikipedia, general species account).

The song, given in flight as is common among larks, is a few chips followed by a warbling, ascending trill. The female spends two to four days preparing the nest site before building, and lays two to five grey eggs with brown spots. The cached account does not describe its Indian range. SoIB 2023 rates it a Low conservation priority, a resident of alpine and cold desert with a Moderate range of about 61,600 km² and insufficient data on trends (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).