Conservation status: Red
The skylark is a small brown bird, somewhat larger than a sparrow but smaller than a starling. It is streaky brown with a small crest, which can be raised when the bird is excited or alarmed, and a white-sided tail. The wings also have a white rear edge, visible in flight. It is renowned for its display flight, vertically up in the air. Its recent and dramatic population declines make it a Red List species.
Latin name
Alauda arvensis
Family
Larks (Alaudidae)
Where to see them
Found everywhere in the UK. Likes open countryside, from lowland farmland to upland moorland. Often inconspicuous on the ground, it is easy to see when in its distinctive song flight.
When to see them
All year round.
What they eat
Seeds and insects
Population
| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* | | - | 1,785,000 territories | - | - |