Skylark
(Alauda arvensis)
The skylark is a small (17.5 cm) brown bird, a little larger than a sparrow. It is streaky brown with a small crest, which can be raised when the bird is excited or alarmed, and a white-sided tail. It is renowned for its display flight, vertically up in the air. It has suffered from a dramatic population decline in recent years. It is resident in the UK and is widely distributed. It 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. Its diet consists of seeds and insects