Wednesday 10 April 2013

Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

OTHER NAMES: Wood Lark
Latin Etymology: Lullula (diminutive from French onomatopoeia "lulu") arborea ("of a tree")
Adult Woodlark (subspecies L. a. arboreaat Thursley Common - April 2013

Featured Subspecies: Lullula arborea arborea
Weight: 24-36g  /  Length: 13.5-15cm  /  Wingspan: 27-30cm
UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Woodlark is one of the few UK bird species which is a heath specialist, and thus far rarer than it's most similar relations, the Skylark.  It is however a much "stubbier" bird that the Skylark with a shorter body and tail without the notable crest of the skylark.  The also have a different song to the iconic one of the skylark while still be "lark" enough to be identifiable as such.  I heard this bird on my first visit to Thursley Common, but it wasn't until the second that I actually managed to catch sight of it.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Lullula
Subspecies: L. a. arborea, L. a. pallida

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - Scarce and local breeding species (3,100 pairs)
 - Birds seen and heard at Thursley Common in April 2013.

Further Notes: BirdForum OpusIUCN Red ListRSPBWikipedia, Xeno-canto

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