Malabar lark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malabar lark |
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| A pair of Galerida malabarica from Mangaon, Maharashtra, India | |
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Galerida
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| Species: |
malabarica
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The Malabar lark, also known as the Malabar crested lark (Galerida malabarica), is a type of lark bird. It belongs to the Alaudidae family and lives in western India. This bird is known for its special crest on its head.
About the Malabar Lark
The Malabar lark is a small bird, a bit smaller than the Eurasian skylark. It has a long, spiky crest on its head that can stand up. Its feathers are mostly grey, and it doesn't have the white edges on its wings and tail that the skylark does. The skylark visits India in winter, but the Malabar lark lives there all the time.
This lark looks a lot like the crested lark, which lives in northern India. However, the Malabar lark is smaller and has reddish-brown feathers with dark streaks. The crested lark, on the other hand, is grey. The Malabar lark has a white belly. Both male and female Malabar larks look very similar.
Another bird from India, Sykes's lark, also has reddish-brown feathers. But Sykes's lark is smaller, has a shorter beak, and its crest stands up straight. It also has plain reddish-brown feathers on its underside.
Where Malabar Larks Live
You can find the Malabar lark in western India. It's a common bird that likes open areas, farmlands, and scrubland. You can often spot them even in places that are quite high up, like on hills or mountains.
Life and Habits
The Malabar lark is a bird that stays in one place; it doesn't migrate. It builds its nest on the ground. Female larks usually lay two or three eggs at a time.
These birds eat both seeds and insects. During the breeding season, they eat more insects. This helps them get enough energy to raise their young.
Gallery
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Malabar lark, Sakleshpur, India
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