NORTHERN HORNED LARK 333 



bles, tsip, tsip, tsee-di-dV Dr. Townsend (1905) writes it 'Hssswee 

 it, tsswt, the sibilant being marked." This is the note commonly heard 

 in winter, usually uttered in flight, but often given from the ground 

 or from some slight eminence. O. J'. Murie writes to me that one of 

 these birds appeared to answer his imitation of its notes. 



Field marks.— li the bird is facing the observer, the conspicuous 

 head markings are unmistakable, though in young birds and females, 

 especially in fall and winter, these markings are much obscured. 

 While walking away from the observer on the ground, no conspicu- 

 ous field marks appear, but a horned lark can generally be recog- 

 nized by its thick-set appearance, by its habit of walking instead of 

 hopping, and by its mouselike movements. It is larger than the 

 pipit or the Lapland longspur or any of the sparrows with which 

 it is likely to be associated. The pipit has more white in the tail 

 than the lark; and the lark does not wag its tail as the pipit does. 

 When the lark is flying overhead its black tail shows in sharp con- 

 trast with the white under parts. 



Winter. — The old name, shore lark, seems very appropriate for 

 this bird, for while with us in winter in New England it is far 

 more abundant along the coast than elsewhere. Here it is often 

 associated with the snow buntings and the Ipswich sparrows in the 

 sand dunes and on the beaches, or with the pipits and Lapland long- 

 spurs in the salt marshes and meadows. Flat, open, brackish mead- 

 ows along our tidal rivers are favorite resorts, and the birds are 

 often seen about the shores of lakes and even in stubble fields and 

 plowed lands farther inland. 



In Massachusetts the northern horned lark is more abundant as 

 a migrant than as a winter resident, though it is here in some num- 

 bers all winter. Dr. Townsend (1905) says of its seasons in Essex 

 County : "During the first half of October, Horned Larks are found 

 in small numbers, but they become abundant in the latter half of 

 the month, increase through November, and reach their height in 

 December. During most of January they are common but in the 

 latter part of that month and in February and early March compara- 

 tively few are to be found, while in the latter half of March they 

 again increase in numbers but are never as common as in the fall, and 

 a few may occasionally be found early in April." 



Walker and Trautman (1936), referring to its status in central 

 Ohio, write: 



The Northern Horned Lark (O. a. alpestris) is unquestionably the dominant 

 race during the winter months. * ♦ * Flocks of from twenty to one hundred 

 individuals are usually present by early November. The peak of abundance 

 occurs during December, January, and February when flocks of 200 or more 

 are frequently encountered. The largest flock noted by us was estimated to 

 contain 600 individuals and was seen in the cornflelds of the Scioto River 



