LARK SPARROW 897 



Behavior. — Wliere it is plentiful, as on its Oklahoma breeding 

 grounds, the lark sparrow is markedly gregarious. Even at the height 

 of the nesting season one sees them feeding together in small flocks. 

 In such flocks at Lake Texoma I frequently identified color-banded 

 individuals from active nests. While pairs defend their nest and its 

 inmiediate environs, they do not establish or defend a feeding territory. 

 Birds may fly some distance from the nest for both nesting material 

 and food. 



The flocks increase in size as summer wanes and become rather 

 noisy, with much chirping and occasional outbursts of song. In- 

 dividuals in the flocks quarrel with one another fairly frequently; the 

 fights do not seem to be governed by sex or age, for males may combat 

 with other males and with females, and adults with juveniles. Other 

 species sometimes join the flocks. In one flock of 40 lark and 10 

 field sparrows, interspecific fighting occurred occasionally. In late 

 summer the flocks become very wary and diflicult to approach, and 

 will leave the field where they are feeding at the first sight of an 

 intruder. 



Strangely, in my study area that bordered Lake Texoma, I never 

 saw the bu'ds drink from or bathe in the lake. They often did both, 

 however, in a small pond near by. On July 17 I recorded in my notes 

 that "At least six different birds came to the pond to drink this 

 morning. Each flew to within 3 feet of the water's edge and then 

 walked up until it almost stood in the water. Each bird drank at 

 least a half dozen times by dipping its biU in the water and then 

 hfting it to an angle of 45°." 



Early in the summer the birds usually came to the pond to bathe 

 individually, but by mid-July they came in small flocks and bathed 

 together. After bathing they generaUy stood around for perhaps a 

 half hour preening themselves. L. M. Wliitaker (1957a) describes 

 how her captive lark sparrow habituaUy oiled its tarsi after bathing 

 and before preening: 



After briefly touching the [uropygial] gland [with its bQl], the Lark Sparrow 

 deliberately places one foot firmly forward on the cage top and rather quickly 

 runs its opened bill down upon the front of that tarsus, from bend of heel to the 

 toes. It pulls itself upright, places the other foot forward, and treats this other 

 tarsus in like manner. Only after both tarsi have been oiled does the bird begin 

 to preen, usually starting by pulling at mid-breast feathers and then stripping 

 remiges of either wing. Preening and drying actions, continuing until the bird 

 is dry, sometimes require 35 minutes. Once preening has started, the bird 

 neither utilizes the oil gland nor employs the bill upon its tarsi. 



Field marks. — R. T. Peterson (1941) points out that " The best mark 

 [on this open-country sparrow] is the rounded tail with much white in 

 the outside corners (somewhat as in Towhee — not as in Vesper Spar- 

 row)." It also has "chestnut ear-patches, striped crown, and white 



