Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.5–7.1 in
14–18 cm - Wingspan
- 11 in
28 cm - Weight
- 1.1–1.8 oz
30–51 g
Other Names
- Bruant noir et blanc (French)
- Gorrión cañero, Gorrión alipálido, Llanero alipálido (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Immature Lark Buntings flock together and stay on the breeding grounds longer than do adults.
- The Lark Bunting often comes to drink out of water tanks provided for livestock. While the water may be helpful, the tank can be a dangerous place. Large numbers of buntings often drown in the tanks, especially in those containing mats of algae. Domestic cats also hunt there; one cat in Kansas caught 17 Lark Buntings in one day.
Habitat
Grassland
Plains, prairies, meadows and sagebrush. Winters in cultivated lands, brushy areas, and desert.
Food
Insects
Insects, seeds, grain, and some fruits.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- Unmarked light blue.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse gray down.
Nest Description
Loose bowl of grass, fine roots, and plant stems, lined with fine grasses or hair. Placed in scrape on ground, rim level with ground. Usually under shrub.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Feeds on ground; strongly avoids feeding under cover. Some flycatching.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations fluctuate widely in any given area, but overall populations appear to be declining.
Credits
- Shane, T. G. 2000. Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys). In The Birds of North America, No. 542 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.