Oriental Birds - THE ASHY CROWNED SPARROW LARK - (One pic per day) Series : Birds Picture No. 3

The Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark
Scientific Name : Eremopterix griseus

Male
The ashy-crowned sparrow-lark (Eremopterix griseus) is a small sparrow-sized member of the lark household.

It is seen in the plains in wide open area with bare ground, grass and scrub across Southern Parts of asia. The males are well marked with a contrasting black-and-white face pattern, while females are sandy brownish, looking similar to a female sparrow. Males are often noticed in the course of the mating season by the long diminishing whistle that accompanies their undulating and dive-bombing flight exhibits.

Sparrow sized with a finch-like bill together with short legs, these birds are usually seen sitting on the ground, and despite that they will sometimes perch on electrical wires they do not perch in trees or bushes.

This species is confined to flying below 1000 metres elevation and is discovered from south of the Himalayas to Sri Lanka extending to the Indus river in the west as well as Assam in the east. It is found in stubble, scrub, waste land, riverside sand and tidal flats on the coast. In the course of the monsoon period, they withdraw from severe rainfall regions.

These larks are found in pairs or small groups and form larger flocks in winter. They forage on the ground for seeds and insects. They will take fallen grain in fields. They roost during the night on the terrain, making little depressions in the soil.

The nest is a compacted depression under a tuft of grassed areas in the ground padded with grass and also hair with a few pebbles arranged on the edge. The typical clutch is two or three eggs and both males as well as female incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch after nearly 13 or 14 days and both parents take turns to feed the young although the female is more vigorous.

Gear Used : Nikon D5300
Lens : Nikkor 70-300mm
Tripod : Benro T600EX
Filter None
Location : Assam

yours ever,
aCeVeNtUrA2
(my feathered friends & me)