The South-East European Crested Lark (Galerida cristata tenuirostris) is a small warbler songbird.
The South-East European Crested Lark is brown with light-brown outer feathers. It has reddish underwings. It has a short tail and a crest of feathers on its head. Its feet and beak are light beige. The male and female look similar.
It grows to 17 centimetres (7 inches) tall, with a wingspan of 29-38 centimetres (11-15 inches).
The Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) is native to Europe, north Africa, and in parts of western Asia and China. The South-East European Crested Lark is common from Hungary to southern Russia and Kazakhstan.
It prefers dry, open country, and is often seen by roadsides or in cereal fields.
It does not migrate—it is a resident bird.
It eats seeds and grains, and sometimes insects, particularly beetles.
The South-East European Crested Lark makes a nest in a small depression in the ground. The female lays 3-5 eggs, which hatch after 11-12 days. The chicks leave the nest after about 8 days, and can fly after 15-16 days.
[Location of photographs: Tashkent, Uzbekistan]
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM