Horned Lark Photo Gallery
Male
Small, sparrowlike bird with a long body and a small bill. Brownish above and pale below with a black chest band. Males have a black mask and variable amounts of yellow on the head and throat. Also note tiny hornlike feathers that sometimes stick straight up on the head.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryMarrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, January 02, 2015Female
Females lack the male's black mask and are generally paler, with only a slight yellow wash on the throat and a brown breast band.
© Theo Staengl / Macaulay LibraryOhio, May 11, 2019Male
Small, sparrow-sized bird with thin, straight bill. Tiny black "horns" on the sides of the crown can be raised or lowered. Note sandy brown back contrasting with blackish tail.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 27, 2007Not all videos have soundFemale
Small songbird with a small head and bill. Females have a pale yellow wash on the throat and a dusky breast band. They lack the male's black eye patch.
© Peter Candido / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, August 28, 2018Juvenile
Juveniles are brown overall with white-edged feathers and a brown breast band.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryNevada, August 10, 2019Male
Males have tiny hornlike feathers on top of the head that can be raised and lowered.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryMarrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, January 02, 2015Male
Sandy to rusty brown above with a black tail that is especially noticeable in flight. Back and throat color vary across the range from rusty to sandy and from pale yellow to bright yellow.
© Curtis Dykstra / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 19, 2017Male
Slender sparrowlike bird with a small head and bill. Males have a black mask, black breast band, and yellow throat. Their namesake horns are not always visible.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, July 29, 2018Habitat
Found in open country with very short or no vegetation, including bare agricultural fields. Often difficult to spot on bare ground thanks to their small size and brown and sandy-colored backs.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryNew York, January 31, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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