Species Guide: Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Family: Alaudidae
The Eurasian Skylark is a small passerine bird in the lark family, Alaudidae. It is widely distributed across Europe and much of the Palearctic and has been introduced to regions including Australia, New Zealand, and the Hawaiian Islands. The species is especially noted for its rich and sustained aerial song delivered by males during flight, a behavior that has held cultural significance across centuries of human artistic expression.
Appearance
Adult males exhibit streaky brown upperparts with darker markings. The underparts are buff-white, and the bird typically shows a small crest on top of the head. Males are slightly larger than females in most populations. Females resemble males in plumage and size, though generally slightly smaller. The streaked brown and buff coloration and crest are shared features. Juvenile skylarks share similar brown and buff patterns to adults, helping camouflage young birds on the ground. Their plumage gradually develops into the adult form as they mature.
Diet
Skylarks are omnivorous ground feeders. Adults consume a mix of seeds, plant shoots, and grains, including various grass seeds and weed seeds. Invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and grasshoppers also form a significant part of their diet, especially during the breeding season when chicks require high protein intake.
Habitat
This species favours open landscapes with short vegetation. Typical habitats include grasslands, heathlands, marshes, saltmarsh and agricultural fields. Skylarks avoid dense woodland and heavily cluttered environments, nesting and foraging on the ground in exposed areas where they can detect predators easily.
Summer
Resident
Passage
Winter
Introduced
Behavior
Aerial Display and Call
Male skylarks are best known for their elaborate display flights. From the ground, they ascend with rapid wingbeats to heights often exceeding 50 to 100 metres before hovering and singing continuously in a clear, trilling warble, often for several minutes. The song can include variations of whistles, trills, and tremolos in complex sequences used to attract mates and defend territory. Skylarks also deliver calls described as “prriee” or “prreet”, commonly heard throughout the breeding season.
Eurasian Skylark Flight Call:
Life Cycle
Breeding typically occurs from April through August. Nests are shallow depressions on the ground, lined with grass and concealed within low vegetation. Females lay three to five eggs, which they incubate for about 11 to 14 days. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after roughly 10 days and become independent over subsequent weeks. Skylarks may raise two or even three broods in a single season when conditions permit.
Biometrics
| Length | 18-19 cm |
| Wing Span | 30-36 cm |
| Body Weight | 17-47 grams |
| Longevity | 2 Years |
Natural Predators
Skylark eggs and nestlings are vulnerable to predation by ground-foraging mammals and snakes, while adults may be taken by small falcons and other raptors. Their cryptic brown plumage provides some camouflage against threats while foraging low to the ground.
Relationship to Humans
Cultural and Literary Presence
Skylarks have a notable place in human culture. Their airborne song has inspired poets and composers for centuries, appearing in works by Chaucer, Shakespeare, Shelley, and Wordsworth, and being celebrated in musical compositions such as The Lark Ascending. Phrases like the proverbial reference to being “up with the lark” reflect their association with dawn and early morning.
Historical Use
Historically, larks were kept as caged songbirds in some regions, and were also hunted for food. Superstitions and folklore sometimes surrounded their appearance and song, including tales explaining physical traits and behaviors.
Conservation Status
Globally, the Eurasian skylark is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List; however, population trends indicate declines in many parts of its range, particularly in Western Europe. In the United Kingdom, the species is listed on the Red List for birds due to significant long-term declines attributed to changes in agricultural practices, loss of open habitats, and reduced insect availability. Population assessments indicate ongoing declines in many national and regional populations, prompting conservation actions focused on habitat management and protection measures.
The species’ sensitivity to farmland intensification, reduced availability of suitable nesting sites, and declines in food resources underscore the need for targeted conservation efforts to maintain and restore populations across its range.
U.K.
Conservation Status
Global
Conservation Status
Ad Space
References
- Lovette, I. et al. (2016) The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, handbook of bird biology. Third edition. Chichester: Wiley. [Accessed 15/10/2025]
CITATIONS
- By IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data., CC BY-SA 3.0. [Accessed 28/01/2026] ↩︎
