This is another beautiful bird of this genus, that visits us in winter from the North, where it breeds. It is also found in Europe. They fly here in flocks, and their call has a resemblance to the Sky Lark of Europe; and in some parts of the Union they are named the Sky Lark, and in others the Shore Lark. In the countries where they breed they are said to mount in the air (like the European species) and sing sweetly. Last spring I had a female that was wing-tipped; I put it in a large cage, with some Canary Birds. At first, when any of them would approach it, it would open its mouth to the utmost extent to frighten them away, I supposed, but it never offered to attack any of them, nor they it. I have no doubt but the males would sing in a cage. I heard nothing from this but the call: but, being a female, of course I could not expect it to sing. It was very fond of dusting itself, like all the rest of the genus; and when I put a vessel, with gravel, in the cage, it would jump into it and make it fly all around, and seemed quite delighted.

Food

It eat of all the seeds in the cage. I bruised some hemp seed for it, and gave it occasionally a bit of bread.

Characteristics Of The Sexes

The male of this bird has the forehead, throat, sides of neck, and a line over the eye, of a fine straw yellow; back of the head and neck black, which bounds the yellow all round the back, a reddish drab color; lower parts reddish white. The female has little or no black on the head, and all the colors are paler and dingy. The male has a few long black feathers above the eyebrows, which it can erect at pleasure, which look like little horns, like those of some of the Owl tribe.

Location

Found throughout the United States, in winter. Migrates north in the spring. Found also in the North of Europe.