Wildlife
Skylarks are the very voice of the UK spring. They have a beautiful song that radiates through the air as the bird itself hangs suspended somewhere overhead. This aerial, territorial display can last up to five minutes while the male reaches the pinnacle of its flight before slowly descending. The skylark's breeding range covers all of Europe and the temperate zone of Asia. Skylarks have declined by more than 50% over the last quarter of a century, as a result of increased intensive farming methods.
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Skylarks sing at Royal St George
Cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones visits Royal St George's Golf Club to see if sport and nature can exist side by side.
Cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones visits Royal St George's Golf Club, the home of the Open 2011, to see if sport and nature can exist side by side.
Lark song
The skylark's characteristic song gave brief relief for the trench soldiers of WWI.
The skylark's characteristic song gave brief relief for the trench soldiers of WWI.
Sky diver
Iolo Williams investigates how and why birds communicate.
Iolo Williams visits Gronant sand dunes in North Wales where skylarks have adapted to life without trees.
Sounds like skylarks
Simon King and Chris Watson record the skylark's sing-song stamina.
Simon King and Chris Watson record the skylark's sing-song stamina.
Idyllic countryside
Skylarks and orchids are among the sights in a June meadow.
Skylarks and orchids are among the sights in a June meadow.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Skylark can be found in a number of locations including: Asia, China, Europe, Mediterranean, Russia, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Skylark distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
Alauda is a genus of larks with four species found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one species (the Raso Lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands.
These birds are 14–18 cm long and live in cultivation, heath, natural steppe and other open habitats. Their characteristic songs are delivered in flight. They are fairly undistinguished: streaked brown above and pale below, with a short, blunt, erectile crest. In flight, they display a short tail and short broad wings. The tail and the rear edge of the wings are edged with white.
Their diet consists of seeds, supplemented with insects in the breeding season. They nest on the ground in tufts of grass, with 3-6 eggs per clutch. They form flocks when not breeding.
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Farmland
Heathland
Marsh
Wildflower meadow
Moorland
Tropical grassland
Wetlands
Helpless young
Migration
Camouflage
Co-operative breeding
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Monogamous
Egg layer
Parental investment
Territorial