THE WOOD LARK 



During the breeding season, which continues from March 

 to June, the male may constantly be seen about the trees, 

 from which he starts to sing whilst soaring in the air or 

 passing from one tree to another. Less frequently the song 

 is uttered on the ground. The voice of the Wood Lark 

 by some is considered to be even better than that of the 

 Skylark, and if greater continuance and richness of tone 

 are taken as points in its favour their judgment cannot 

 be questioned. The usual call-note is a liquid double cry, 

 very similar to that of the Skylark. It subsists upon much 

 the same food. The nest is placed upon the ground, 

 usually well concealed under a tuft of grass or a small 

 bush, and is made externally of dry grass and moss, lined 

 with finer grass and a little horsehair. The four or five 

 eggs are white tinged with buff or olive in ground colour, 

 spotted and freckled with reddish brown and grey. After 

 the breeding season the male, like his mate, becomes 

 more terrestrial, and the broods often keep together 

 during the winter. Odd Wood Larks may sometimes be 

 met with in flocks of Skylarks. 



The adult Wood Lark is brown above, the feathers with 

 dark centres, except on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; 

 the wing-coverts are tipped with white, and the pale buff 

 eye-stripe is conspicuous ; the tail-feathers are brownish 

 black, marked with white at the end, the outer ones paler, 

 with a darker mark on the inner web. The under parts 

 are white, suffused with buff on the breast and abdomen 

 and with brown on the flanks ; the throat, neck, breast, and 

 flanks are spotted with blackish brown. Bill dark brown, 

 paler below ; tarsi and toes pale brown ; irides brown. 

 Length 5i inches. The nestling is spotted above with 

 black and buff, and the nearly yellow under surface is 

 more profusely marked than in the adult. 



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