FAMILY AlaudidcB 



south between the Cascades and the Rockies, 

 wintering to Nevada and California; paUid 

 horned lark, breeding in Alaska and migrating 

 southward to Oregon, Utah and Montana; 

 and the California and ruddy horned larks, 

 and a half dozen other varieties found in 

 California and the Southwest 



Horned larks are ground birds, gleaning a 

 living from the stubble-fields and along road- 

 sides. They are often seen perched on fence 

 posts along country thoroughfares and have 

 the curious habit of crouching low when 

 alarmed by any passerby, as if to hide them- 

 selves. They fly with a sudden jerky motion, 

 usually going only a short distance to drop 

 into the grass, and running along a few feet 

 they will mount an upturned furrow to watch 

 the wayfarer disappear down the road. One 

 must look for horned larks in flat open 

 country away from timber, along dusty 

 roads when the heat is dancing in the 

 air and the purple hills look hazy in the 

 distance. 



The nest of the horned lark is a frail 

 structure placed on the ground in an open 

 field. The horned lark has a weak song 

 which is uttered as it sits perched on the 

 ground or fence, or as it goes darting across a 

 field. 



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