Basic Principles
Larks are ground-living birds generally associated with grassland habitats, and are well known for their habit of singing in flight. The open landscapes of southern Europe and north Africa are home to a wide variety of lark species, posing considerable identification challenges, but only two species are generally resident in the UK: Eurasian Skylark and Woodlark. Of these two, the former is by far the most abundant and widespread, with an estimated 1.5 million breeding territories, compared to between 2,000 and 3,000 Woodlark territories. During the breeding season, Eurasian Skylark can be found in almost every 10-km square in the UK, while Woodlarks are confined to their core breeding areas, which are open forests or heathlands in East Anglia, the New Forest, the Thames Basin and Devon, with…