Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Calandra Lark

Melanocorypha calandra (Linnaeus, 1766)

≈21 cmLength62 gWeight

It has large black patches on the sides of the breast, with dark underwings and white tail edges visible in flight.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: Spain, Portugal, Türkiye

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Large black patches on the sides of the breast
  2. White supercilium
  3. Short, broad wings with dark underwings
  4. Short tail with white edges

Voice

Song resembles that of Eurasian Skylark, but with a slower rhythm.

Where and when it's recorded

Calandra Lark has been recorded at 236 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 40 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Azud de RiolobosSpain941 records
  2. El Oso – Laguna y entornoSpain907 records
  3. Besh Barmag bottleneckAzerbaijan827 records
More places
  1. Laguna de Pitillas RN – AreaSpain816 records
  2. ZPE Castro Verde – Vale GonçalinhoPortugal651 records
  3. Laguna de Gallocanta RN – ÁreaSpain647 records
  4. La Janda – ÁreaSpain607 records
  5. Lagunas de Villafáfila RNat – ÁreaSpain492 records
  6. La Breña y Marismas de Barbate PNat – El CañilloSpain464 records
  7. ZPE Castro Verde – área geralPortugal348 records

Countries and regions with the most records

SpainPortugalTürkiyeAzerbaijanKazakhstanGreeceGeorgiaBulgaria

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra) or European calandra-lark breeds in warm temperate countries around the Mediterranean and eastwards through Turkey into northern Iran and southern Russia. It is replaced further east by its relative, the bimaculated lark.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Calandra Lark?

The Calandra Lark is about ≈21 cm long and weighs around 62 g.

Where does the Calandra Lark live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: southwestern, also northern Africa. It is most often recorded in Spain, Portugal and Türkiye.

When is the best time to see the Calandra Lark?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Calandra Lark endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Calandra Lark as Least Concern.

What does the Calandra Lark eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Calandra Lark in?

It belongs to the family Larks (Alaudidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈21 cm
Weight
62 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
124 mm
Tail
62 mm
Bill
19 mm
Tarsus
27 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: southwestern, also northern Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Larks Alaudidae
Genus
Melanocorypha

Other birds in the genus Melanocorypha

Bimaculated LarkBimaculated LarkMelanocorypha bimaculataBlack LarkBlack LarkMelanocorypha yeltoniensisMongolian LarkMongolian LarkMelanocorypha mongolicaTibetan LarkTibetan LarkMelanocorypha maximaGreater Hoopoe-LarkGreater Hoopoe-LarkAlaemon alaudipesLesser Hoopoe-LarkLesser Hoopoe-LarkAlaemon hamertoniBeesley's LarkBeesley's LarkChersomanes beesleyiSpike-heeled LarkSpike-heeled LarkChersomanes albofasciataGray's LarkGray's LarkAmmomanopsis grayiShort-clawed LarkShort-clawed LarkCerthilauda chuana
Calandra Lark

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Giuseppe Citino. ↗

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