Wild Guide: Horned Lark

The horned lark’s black forehead and eyebrow line extend into short “horns” on the bird’s crown, contributing to its moniker. They can be found in large open areas with extensive bare ground. Horned larks are especially common in plowed agricultural regions, nesting early before vegetation has grown tall. Their camouflaged upperparts make them inconspicuous, but they often occur in flocks, and their movement against the ground, and their distinctively marked faces and “horns,” can help you see them. They also sing and call from the ground, which can help pinpoint them. Their song, a soft twittering and tinkling sound, usually delivered in flight, is a lisping tsee or tzee-te-te.