White-winged Lark

Alauda leucoptera Pallas, 1811

White-winged Lark, Alauda leucoptera, breeds across the Palearctic from southern Ukraine through Kazakhstan to southern Russia. It is a lark of dry, open steppe and plains, and its most striking feature is the white pattern on the wings, which shows clearly in flight. The bird is large and sturdy, with dark-streaked grey upperparts and a pale underside. The adult male has a chestnut crown, while the sexes are otherwise alike. It nests on the ground, lays three to eight eggs, and feeds on seeds, taking insects in the breeding season.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Alaudidae — Larks

Breeding range

Palearctic: s Ukraine through Kazakhstan to sc Russia