Woodlark
(Lullula arborea )
The (Lullula arborea ) is a species of bird in the family of larks ( Alaudidae ). This small Lerchenart colonized the southwestern Palaearctic region of England and Portugal to the north-west Iran and Turkmenistan. It inhabits mainly sunny open areas in or on the edge of forests. The type is a moderately common breeding bird in Central Europe and spends the winter in south-western Europe as well as in the northern Mediterranean.
Features
The Woodlark has a body length of 13.5 to 15 cm, which is significantly smaller than the more famous Skylark, the tail is remarkably short. The basic color of the top is light brown dull. Top of the head and upper back are on this, fine light beige and dark vertical stripes, the rump is solid brown. The wings are dark gray-brown. The large -coverts are white at the base, in the middle of wide black and yellowish white at the top and form a clearly visible when sitting bird badge on bend of wing. The tail is gray-brown, the tips of the counted from inside to outside third to fifth control spring have a small white spot tip, the outermost (sixth ) control spring is lightened whitish brown at the end.
The species shows a strong bright eyes glancing over the two supraorbital patrol unite behind the head v -shaped. On the rear side of the head adjacent to the supraorbital stripe down a fine dark gray line, which then runs along to the beak angle at the lower edge of the eye to the front and also the ear-coverts limited forward. The ear-coverts are strong reddish brown and bright forward to. The beard is broad stripe white, the chin Streif also dark gray, throat is white. The upper chest is on a whitish ground fine light beige and dark vertical stripes, the rest of the abdomen and flanks are white.
The legs are yellowish brown to flesh colored, the slender beak is brown gray and brightened at the base.
Vocalizations
The melodic vocals are predominantly carried forward from a Singflug, rare and less from the floor or waiting. It is soft and melodic and consists of rows of short syllables that follow beginning slowly, then faster and faster each other and are at the end of the verse louder and deeper. After each verse followed by a pause. The song can be so play something like " li, li -li - lililiLÍlülü ... ÍÍ - lü lü - ÍÍ ÍÍ - lü - ÍÍlu - ÍÍluÍÍlu ". Migrant call soft fluting " TLUii - TLUii ".
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of Woodlark includes large parts of the south-western Palearctic from England and Portugal to the north-west Iran and Turkmenistan. The northern boundary of the spread of this relatively heat- requiring species in Europe runs through the south of England, the south of Scandinavia and Finland and to the east by Karelia and the median Russia. In the south the distribution extends to North Africa, Cyprus, Israel, Syria to the north and the north-west of Iraq. It inhabits mainly sunny, dry open areas in or on the edge of forests, such as clearcuts, burned areas and wide aisles, but also the nations that border zones of bogs and orchards. Important habitat elements are low grassy vegetation less than 5 cm in height and vegetation-free areas for foraging and sitting waiting in the form of bushes or trees.
Nutrition
The food consists of both animal and from vegetable ingredients. In the summer, especially all kinds of invertebrates and seeds are eaten in spring in fresh- sprouting grasses, small leaves and buds.
Reproduction
The nest is created on the ground hidden in the vegetation. It consists of inward progressively finer werdendem plant material, the cavity is lined with fine roots. Eggs are laid in Central Europe no earlier than March 20, usually late March to early April. Second broods are rare in Central Europe, Southern Europe, but probably come in regularly. The nest consists of 2-7, usually 3-6 eggs, which are very fine and dense brownish dots on a whitish ground. The incubation period lasts 13-15 days. Incubation is carried out exclusively by the female, the nestlings are brooded only until the age of 5-8 days from the female, but then fed by both parents. The young birds can run at 7 days and 12 days, flying even short distances, after 16 days they are fledged.
Hiking
The Woodlark is predominantly short-distance migrant in Central, Eastern and Northern Europe. The deduction from the breeding areas from mid- September and lasts until the end of October or early November with the last stragglers in December. The birds spend the winter mainly in the west of France, in the Iberian Peninsula and in the northern Mediterranean, single Winter evidence is there but almost all of central Europe to Poland and the Czech Republic as well as rare even in southern Scandinavia. The return migration through Central Europe from mid- February, the breeding grounds are mostly filled by the end of March.
Inventory and risk
Secured Information on world stock does not exist, the IUCN is a rough estimate for the European stock of 2.5-6.5 million individuals. The species is not endangered according to IUCN.
In many parts of Germany the species has declined since the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1960s, the stock has partly been drastically reduced, the stocks have declined in part to a fraction of their former numbers. Contrast to local inventory increases were in clearings, windthrow and forest fire areas on nutrient-poor fallow fields and on entbuschten and wiederbeweideten sheep grazing areas and military training areas in dry, sandy areas.