HORNED LARKS. Otocoris alpestris (Linnaeus)²⁰

Field characters.—In size somewhat larger than Linnet; decidedly smaller than Meadowlark; length about 6 inches. A patch on breast, one on either side of head, and a bar across forehead, black; tail blackish with narrow white margins; upper surface of body light brown, more or less darkly streaked; under surface whitish. Adult male has a short 'horn' (tuft of black feathers) above each eye. When on ground walks rather than hops; runs with celerity. Voice: Call notes faint and high pitched, see-weetle, see-tle, or sleet; song, a series of tinkling notes, teet, toot, teet-teetle-eetle-eetle, which is uttered most persistently when the bird circles about high overhead.

Occurrence.—Common resident on the plains of the San Joaquin Valley (Lower Sonoran Zone); occasionally visits small open meadows in foothills west of main Sierra Nevada (race actia). Also occurs, at least in summer, locally, east of the Sierras (race merrilli). Casual in fall and winter at Smith Creek east of Coulterville, and above Ten Lakes. Live on the ground in open country, usually in loose flocks.

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²⁰The Horned Larks at Lagrange and Snelling and west of Pleasant Valley belong to the common resident subspecies of the San Joaquin Valley, the California Horned Lark, Otocoris alpestris actia Oberholser. Another race, the Dusky Horned Lark, Otocoris alpestris merrilli Dwight, is found in the Mono Lake region, and a few individuals stray westward during the fall and winter. With specimens in hand, merrilli as compared with actia is seen to be of larger size throughout and to have a grayish rather than reddish cast of coloration, with the dark streaks on the upper surface more sharply contrasted.

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The Horned Lark is a bird of the open country, inhabiting the plains of the San Joaquin Valley and the adjacent rolling grasslands. It also occurs here and there on the meadows in the adjacent western foothills of the Yosemite section, as well as again in the open country east of the Sierra Nevada. Wherever it nests the species is probably resident through out the year, as it most certainly is in the San Joaquin Valley. East of the mountains, where heavy snow covers the ground for at least a portion of the winter season, the birds may be partially migratory, although of this we are uncertain, because we made no winter observations in the Mono Lake region.

The Horned Lark is a notably gregarious species. Even during the breeding season, when the pairs severally are attending to the duties of nesting, members of neighboring pairs are wont to convene together, apparently for the mere sake of sociability. Dusty roadways are favorite meeting places and here it is that the Horned Lark is most likely to come to the attention of the traveler. When on the ground the birds walk with alternate tread and a consequent side to side movement of the body and fore and aft movement of the head, resembling, in these respects, Brewer Blackbirds and Pipits. If a bird be excited or frightened its walk changes into a gliding run; when advancing in this manner the straight forward movement of its pale-colored body along the ground renders it decidedly inconspicuous.

If put to flight Horned Larks get under way quickly, each individual pursuing an undulating course; the flock assumes an irregular, scattered formation, circles about, and often alights close to the place from which it was frightened. The dull colored back and pale under surface match well with the earth or sky; but at times, as the birds glide slantingly through the air, the white under lining of the wings shows momentarily in silvery flashes.

The rather faint call notes, see-weetle, see-tle, or just sleet, are uttered at irregular intervals while the birds are either on the ground or in flight. A distinct flight call is also given when the members of a flock begin to take wing; this resembles the syllables twee-too-too-too, twee-too, clear and plaintive. In the spring there is a definite song on the part of the male, consisting of a series of weak finely attenuated notes, with a pleasant tinkling quality: teet, toot, teet-teetle-eetle-eetle. This song may be uttered when the bird is perched on a clod or hummock, but is also given, and then much more impressively, when the bird circles high overhead in seemingly aimless course. This it does for many minutes at a time, giving a suggestion of the genetic relationship which the Horned Lark bears to the Skylark of the Old World.

The race of Horned Lark occurring east of the mountains is relatively uncommon there, doubtless because of the scarcity of suitable prairie land. On May 12, 1916, a pair was encountered on an open piece of ground which had been cleared of sagebrush and used as a sheep corral. A few others were met with in dry places where the sagebrush was naturally sparse. Some at least of these east-side birds wander westward in the fall and winter seasons, though this movement is not so general as to constitute a real migration. On October 11, 1915, three Horned Larks were seen on an open level spot at an altitude of 9700 feet, above Ten Lakes. The one taken here proved to belong to the race merrilli, as did another bird collected at Smith Creek, six miles east of Coulterville on January 20, 1916.

At Snelling and Lagrange, Horned Larks (of subspecies actia) are to be found in considerable numbers throughout the year. In December and January they were seen on the open rolling tableland back from the Merced River on common ground with Pipits. In one instance the two species were mingled in the same flock. On January 8, 1915, Horned Larks at Snelling were darting about erratically, at dusk, in pairs, giving the trilled pursuit notes which mark the beginning of the courting season.

The breeding season in the San Joaquin Valley is early, beginning in early April; and by the latter part of May fully grown young are to be seen in numbers. On May 28, 1915, fully 50 birds, adults and juveniles, were recorded in an hour and a quarter's census at Snelling. East of the mountains the breeding season is somewhat later. The first young bird observed there in 1916 was seen on June 26.