Malabar lark
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Galerida malabarica

The Malabar lark, or Malabar crested lark (Galerida malabarica ) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in western India.

Appearance

This is a smallish lark, slightly smaller than the Eurasian skylark. It has a long spiky erectile crest. It is greyer than the skylark, and lacks the white wing and tail edges of that species, which is a winter visitor to India.

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It is very similar to the crested lark, which breeds in northern India. The Malabar lark is smaller and dark-streaked reddish brown in plumage, whereas the crested lark is grey. The belly is white. The sexes are similar.

Sykes's lark is another Indian relative that also has reddish-brown plumage, but is smaller, shorter-billed, with a stiff upright crest and has plain rufous underparts.

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Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

The Malabar lark is found in western India. It is a common bird of open country, cultivation and scrub, often at some altitude.

Malabar lark habitat map
Malabar lark habitat map
Malabar lark
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Habits and Lifestyle

The Malabar lark is a sedentary breeding bird that nests on the ground, laying two or three eggs. Its food is seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. Malabar lark Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar_lark
2. Malabar lark on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22717391/111112359
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/578188

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