Eremophila (bird)

Eremophila
Horned lark
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Eremophila F. Boie, 1828
Species
E. bilopha E. alpestris

The bird genus Eremophila comprises the two horned larks:

• the horned lark, Eremophila alpestris, known in Europe as the shore lark,
• and Temminck's lark, or Temminck's horned lark, Eremophila bilopha.

These are larks of open country which nest on the ground. The migratory horned lark breeds across much of northern North America, Europe and Asia and in the mountains of Europe. Temminck’s lark is mainly a resident breeding species across much of north Africa, through northern Arabia to western Iraq.

Unlike most other larks, these are distinctive looking species with striking head and face patterns, black and white in Temminck’s lark and black and yellow in most horned larks. In the summer males of both species have black "horns", which give these larks their alternative names.

Fossil record

• Eremophila prealpestris (late Pliocene of Varshets, Bulgaria)^[1]

References

1. Boev, Z. 2012. Neogene Larks (Aves: Alaudidae (Vigors, 1825)) from Bulgaria - Acta zoologica bulgarica, 64 (3), 2012: 295-318.