Birds of Mongolia

ID Black-and-yellowish head pattern unique and unmistakable. Female and non-breeding birds less strongly marked with reduced or absent ‘horns’, but still highly distinctive. Juv is heavily spotted black, white and tan, and shows trace of adult’s moustache. Voice Song combines high trills and chuckling phrases with harder chattering sounds. Calls are soft and weak, seee or seee-tu. Habitat Occurs in all open habitats, including subalpine meadows and desert as well as all forms of steppe. Behaviour Forms post-breeding flocks of up to 1,500 individuals, and in winter joins other larks and seed-eaters to feed on snow-free roadsides. Status Very common to locally abundant resident breeder and common winter visitor throughout. [Alt: Shore Lark]

ID This large, stocky, heavy-billed lark with striking rufous, black and white plumage pattern is unlike any other lark species in Mongolia, except for vagrant White-winged Lark. The latter has slighter build, smaller bill and lacks Mongolian Lark’s prominent black throat collar. Adult female is duller and more streaked above. Juv lacks reddish-brown in plumage and is scalier above. Voice Prolonged twittering flight song is slightly deeper and richer than Eurasian Skylark’s; also various harsh and shrill calls. Habitat All forms of steppe, preferring relatively rich grasslands, but also nests in sparsely vegetated dry habitats with patchy tall grass. Behaviour Often nests behind dried horse and cattle droppings, grass tussocks and short shrubs. Forms post-breeding flocks of up to 2,500 individuals, and in winter feeds in snowless areas with Horned Larks and Père David’s Snowfinches. Status Very common resident breeder and common passage migrant throughout Mongolia except for taiga and alpine zones.

ID Adult male is similar to much commoner Mongolian Lark, but slighter, with smaller bill, greyer underwing and absence of black patches on upper breast. Adult female and juv lack rusty crown and cheek patch and have overall streaky appearance. Voice Song and calls similar to Eurasian Skylark, but more melodious. Habitat Dry areas with tall grasses in valleys of salty lakes. Behaviour Similar to Mongolian Lark. Status Vagrant. Recorded in open dry steppe between Lake Erkhil and Khatgal soum, Hövsgöl province, and Lake Telmen, Zavkhan province, in February and March. Taxonomy Formerly placed in the genus Melanocorypha.

ID Adult male is unmistakable with combination of large size and stout proportions; all-black plumage (with grey feather edgings in autumn); and heavy, pale bill. Adult female is a rather anonymous chunky grey bird, but heavy bill and especially blackish wings (including underwing-coverts) are distinctive. Voice Song is similar to Eurasian Skylark but more rapid. Calls also like that species but more trilling and buzzing. Habitat Steppes, often near marshes and saline areas. Behaviour Similar to Mongolian Lark. Status Vagrant. One male near Lake Khar-Us, Khovd province, 14 February 1980.

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LARKS II

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