[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":253},["ShallowReactive",2],{"families_en:\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fzhavoronkovye":3,"alt-locale:families_en:\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fzhavoronkovye":108,"section-listing:families_en:\u002Fsemeystva":109,"section-listing:disabled":246,"related-covers:en:\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fslavkovye|\u002Fsemeystva|\u002Fopredelitel":247},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"coverImage":68,"description":69,"extension":70,"faq":71,"imagePrompt":81,"latinName":20,"meta":82,"navigation":83,"order":84,"pageType":85,"path":86,"publishedAt":87,"readingMinutes":88,"relatedLinks":89,"seo":102,"sitemap":105,"stem":106,"taxonRank":85,"updatedAt":84,"__hash__":107},"families_en\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fzhavoronkovye.md","Larks (Alaudidae)",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":60},"minimark",[9,14,22,25,29,32,35,39,53,57],[10,11,13],"h2",{"id":12},"what-makes-alaudidae-a-family","What makes Alaudidae a family",[15,16,17,21],"p",{},[18,19,20],"strong",{},"Alaudidae",", the lark family, comprises around 90 species of small to medium-sized ground-dwelling songbirds found across open habitats in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Members share a streaked, cryptically colored plumage well suited to camouflage against bare or sparsely vegetated ground, a moderately elongated hind claw adapted for walking and standing securely on soft or uneven soil, and a life history built almost entirely around open, largely treeless terrain rather than woodland or scrub.",[15,23,24],{},"Unlike many songbird families that rely on trees or dense cover for both nesting and singing display, larks are fundamentally birds of open ground: they nest, forage, and — in the case of the family's most celebrated members — even deliver their territorial song while flying high above open fields and grassland, an adaptation directly shaped by the near-total absence of elevated perches across their preferred habitat.",[10,26,28],{"id":27},"distinctive-traits-across-the-family","Distinctive traits across the family",[15,30,31],{},"The Eurasian skylark's extraordinary sustained song-flight, in which a singing male can remain airborne and vocalizing continuously for several minutes at considerable height, represents one of the most extreme expressions of a broader pattern found across much of the lark family: since no perch is available from which to advertise a territory in open farmland or steppe, altitude itself becomes the substitute, letting song carry over a much wider area of flat, open ground than would be possible from any low perch.",[15,33,34],{},"Ground-nesting, shared broadly across the family, also shapes lark breeding biology in distinctive ways, including the skylark's habit of chicks leaving the nest well before they can fly, scattering into surrounding cover to reduce the risk that a single predator discovery could destroy an entire brood at once — a strategy suited to nesting in exposed, largely unprotected open ground.",[10,36,38],{"id":37},"species-in-this-family","Species in this family",[15,40,41,42,47,48,52],{},"This atlas currently covers one member of Alaudidae: the ",[43,44,46],"a",{"href":45},"\u002Fen\u002Fvidy-ptic\u002Fvidy\u002Fpolevoy-zhavoronok","Eurasian skylark"," (",[49,50,51],"em",{},"Alauda arvensis","), famous for its extended aerial song and its status as a widely cited symbol of farmland bird decline across intensively farmed parts of Europe. Further Alaudidae species native to the atlas's covered regions will be added to the catalogue over time.",[10,54,56],{"id":55},"where-and-when-to-watch-this-family","Where and when to watch this family",[15,58,59],{},"Open farmland, grassland, and steppe habitats, entirely free of significant tree cover, are the places to look for larks, and spring through early summer — when territorial song-flight activity peaks — offers by far the best opportunity to encounter this family's most distinctive behavior. Because larks rely so heavily on ground vegetation structure for both nesting and feeding, the specific timing and intensity of local farming activity can noticeably affect how easily the family can be found in a given area from one year to the next.",{"title":61,"searchDepth":62,"depth":62,"links":63},"",2,[64,65,66,67],{"id":12,"depth":62,"text":13},{"id":27,"depth":62,"text":28},{"id":37,"depth":62,"text":38},{"id":55,"depth":62,"text":56},"\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fzhavoronkovye.png","The lark family: streaked, ground-nesting birds of open farmland and grassland, best known for the extraordinary sustained soaring song-flight of the Eurasian skylark.","md",[72,75,78],{"q":73,"a":74},"What physical traits unite the lark family?","Alaudidae species typically share a streaked, cryptically colored brown plumage suited to camouflage on open ground, a moderately long hind claw adapted for walking and standing on soft or uneven soil, and a generally stocky, ground-adapted build reflecting a lifestyle centered almost entirely on open terrain rather than trees or shrubs.",{"q":76,"a":77},"Why do larks sing while flying rather than from a perch like most songbirds?","In the open, largely treeless habitats favored by most larks — farmland, grassland, and steppe — there is often no elevated perch available from which a male could sing to project his voice and be seen across open territory, so many lark species, most dramatically the Eurasian skylark, have instead evolved to deliver song from height while airborne, using altitude rather than a perch to broadcast across open ground.",{"q":79,"a":80},"Are larks especially vulnerable to changes in farmland management?","Yes, as a family that depends almost entirely on open farmland and grassland habitat for both nesting and feeding, larks — and the Eurasian skylark in particular — have proven especially sensitive to agricultural intensification, and steep population declines in several lark species across intensively farmed parts of Europe have made the family a frequently referenced case study in farmland conservation.","Photorealistic nature photo, a wide landscape composition showing a Eurasian skylark rising in full song-flight above a vast open cereal field, small dark silhouette climbing against a pale blue sky, low golden crop stretching to the horizon below, soft warm early-morning light, 16:9",{},true,null,"family","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fzhavoronkovye","13.07.2026",1,[90,94,98],{"label":91,"path":92,"description":93},"Sylvia Warblers (Sylviidae)","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fslavkovye","Another small, ground- and cover-associated songbird family",{"label":95,"path":96,"description":97},"Bird families","\u002Fsemeystva","Species grouped by taxonomic family",{"label":99,"path":100,"description":101},"Bird identifier","\u002Fopredelitel","Identify a bird you've seen by color, size, beak shape, habitat, and season",{"title":103,"description":104},"Larks (Alaudidae) — traits, species, and the skylark's song","Alaudidae, the lark family: streaked, ground-nesting birds of open farmland, famous for the skylark's soaring song-flight. Traits, species, and conservation.",{"loc":86},"semeystva\u002Fzhavoronkovye","-dPbR2NUINjMAZGlgiZTjLR7mmrXN7_jwufZ8C91m10",{"ru":83,"es":83},[110,115,120,125,130,135,141,146,151,156,161,162,167,172,177,182,187,193,198,203,208,213,216,221,226,231,236,241],{"title":111,"description":112,"path":113,"coverImage":114,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Buntings (Emberizidae)","The bunting family: sturdy, seed-eating farmland and open-country songbirds represented here by the vividly yellow-headed yellowhammer, one of Europe's most familiar hedgerow singers.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fovsyankovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fovsyankovye.png",{"title":116,"description":117,"path":118,"coverImage":119,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Crows, Ravens, and Allies (Corvidae)","The crow family: some of the most intelligent birds on Earth, from the tiny, sociable jackdaw to the giant common raven, united by cognitive sophistication and remarkable behavioral flexibility.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fvranovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fvranovye.png",{"title":121,"description":122,"path":123,"coverImage":124,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Cuckoos (Cuculidae)","The cuckoo family: slender, long-tailed birds best known for the common cuckoo's remarkable brood-parasitic lifestyle, tricking other species into raising its young.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fkukushkovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fkukushkovye.png",{"title":126,"description":127,"path":128,"coverImage":129,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Falcons (Falconidae)","The falcon family: fast, direct-flying birds of prey with a distinctive hooked, tomial-toothed beak, found on every continent except Antarctica.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsokolinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsokolinye.png",{"title":131,"description":132,"path":133,"coverImage":134,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Finches (Fringillidae)","The true finch family: small, seed-eating songbirds with conical beaks ranging from the everyday chaffinch to the specialized, cone-prying red crossbill.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fvjurkovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fvjurkovye.png",{"title":136,"description":137,"path":138,"coverImage":139,"publishedAt":140,"order":84},"Grebes (Podicipedidae)","The grebe family: highly specialized freshwater diving birds with lobed toes, elaborate courtship displays, and chicks that ride on their parents' backs while swimming.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fpogankovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fpogankovye.png","07.08.2026",{"title":142,"description":143,"path":144,"coverImage":145,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Gulls (Laridae)","The gull family: adaptable, highly social waterbirds ranging from the small, brown-hooded black-headed gull to the larger, plain-billed common gull, equally at home on coasts and inland waters.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fchaykovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fchaykovye.png",{"title":147,"description":148,"path":149,"coverImage":150,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae)","The largest family of diurnal birds of prey, spanning soaring buzzards, forest-hunting goshawks, massive fish eagles, and scavenging kites united by a hooked beak and taloned feet.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fyastrebinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fyastrebinye.png",{"title":152,"description":153,"path":154,"coverImage":155,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Herons (Ardeidae)","The heron family: patient, statuesque wetland hunters with a coiled S-shaped neck and dagger-like bill, epitomized by the grey heron's motionless watch at the water's edge.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Ftsaplevye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Ftsaplevye.png",{"title":157,"description":158,"path":159,"coverImage":160,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Hoopoes (Upupidae)","A small family built around a single unmistakable species, the Eurasian hoopoe, known for its fan-like crest, curved probing beak, and unusual glandular nest defenses.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fudodovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fudodovye.png",{"title":5,"description":69,"path":86,"coverImage":68,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},{"title":163,"description":164,"path":165,"coverImage":166,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Old World Flycatchers and Chats (Muscicapidae)","A family spanning the beloved orange-breasted robin, the vocally legendary nightingale, and the acrobatic pied flycatcher, unified more by ancestry and insect-catching habits than by appearance.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fmuholovkovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fmuholovkovye.png",{"title":168,"description":169,"path":170,"coverImage":171,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Old World Orioles (Oriolidae)","A family of brilliantly colored but famously shy canopy songbirds, represented in Europe by the golden oriole, a bird more often identified by its fluting song than by sight.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fivolgovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fivolgovye.png",{"title":173,"description":174,"path":175,"coverImage":176,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Old World Sparrows (Passeridae)","The Old World sparrow family: small, sociable, seed-eating birds closely tied to human settlement, from the familiar house sparrow to its quieter, farmland-favoring relative the tree sparrow.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fvorobyinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fvorobyinye.png",{"title":178,"description":179,"path":180,"coverImage":181,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)","The pigeon family: stout-bodied, small-headed birds fed on crop milk as chicks, spanning the city-adapted rock dove and wood pigeon to the increasingly rare, long-distance migrant turtle dove.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fgolubinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fgolubinye.png",{"title":183,"description":184,"path":185,"coverImage":186,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Plovers and Lapwings (Charadriidae)","The plover family: compact, large-eyed waders with short bills adapted for visual foraging, from the crested, iridescent northern lapwing to its smaller and plainer relatives.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Frzhankovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Frzhankovye.png",{"title":188,"description":189,"path":190,"coverImage":191,"publishedAt":192,"order":84},"Rails, Crakes, and Coots (Rallidae)","The rail family: laterally flattened marsh specialists built for slipping through dense reed beds, ranging from the secretive corncrake to the bold, aggressive Eurasian coot.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fpastushkovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fpastushkovye.png","17.08.2026",{"title":194,"description":195,"path":196,"coverImage":197,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Starlings (Sturnidae)","The starling family: gregarious, iridescent, highly vocal songbirds represented in Europe by the common starling and its spectacular winter murmurations.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fskvorcovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fskvorcovye.png",{"title":199,"description":200,"path":201,"coverImage":202,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Storks (Ciconiidae)","The stork family: massive, long-legged wading birds with long straight bills, epitomized by the white stork's huge rooftop nests and dramatic overland migration to Africa.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Faistovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Faistovye.png",{"title":204,"description":205,"path":206,"coverImage":207,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae)","The swallow family: sleek, long-winged aerial insect-hunters that spend most of their waking lives on the wing, from the red-throated barn swallow to the white-rumped house martin.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Flastochkovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Flastochkovye.png",{"title":209,"description":210,"path":211,"coverImage":212,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Swifts (Apodidae)","The swift family: extreme aerial specialists that spend nearly their entire lives in flight, closer in ancestry to hummingbirds than to the swallows they superficially resemble.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fstrizhinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fstrizhinye.png",{"title":91,"description":214,"path":92,"coverImage":215,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"A family of small, plainly plumaged, densely-vegetation-loving warblers prized far more for their voices than their looks, exemplified by the richly singing Eurasian blackcap.","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fslavkovye.png",{"title":217,"description":218,"path":219,"coverImage":220,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Thrushes (Turdidae)","The thrush family: medium-sized, powerful-singing ground foragers, from the glossy black common blackbird to the heavily spotted song thrush and the gregarious, flocking fieldfare.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fdrozdovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fdrozdovye.png",{"title":222,"description":223,"path":224,"coverImage":225,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Tits (Paridae)","The tit family: small, acrobatic, cavity-nesting songbirds from the bold, dominant great tit to the tiny, cache-obsessed coal tit, among the most familiar and intensively studied garden birds in Europe.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsinitsevye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsinitsevye.png",{"title":227,"description":228,"path":229,"coverImage":230,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Typical Owls (Strigidae)","The largest owl family, spanning the familiar tawny owl, tufted long-eared owl, and the giant Eurasian eagle-owl, united by forward-facing eyes, silent flight, and mostly nocturnal habits.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsovinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsovinye.png",{"title":232,"description":233,"path":234,"coverImage":235,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Wagtails and Pipits (Motacillidae)","A family of slender, long-tailed, ground-foraging songbirds best exemplified by the constantly tail-bobbing white wagtail, equally at home beside a river or in a busy town square.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Ftryasoguzkovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Ftryasoguzkovye.png",{"title":237,"description":238,"path":239,"coverImage":240,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Waterfowl (Anatidae)","The waterfowl family: ducks, geese, and swans, unified by webbed feet, waterproof plumage, and a broad flattened bill, from the familiar mallard to the massive mute swan.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Futinye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Futinye.png",{"title":242,"description":243,"path":244,"coverImage":245,"publishedAt":87,"order":84},"Woodpeckers (Picidae)","The woodpecker family: powerful, tree-climbing excavators built to hammer into wood, from the widespread black-and-white great spotted woodpecker to the crow-sized black woodpecker.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fdyatlovye","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fdyatlovye.png",[],[248,249,251],{"label":91,"path":92,"description":93,"coverImage":215},{"label":95,"path":96,"description":97,"coverImage":250},"\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Findex.png",{"label":99,"path":100,"description":101,"coverImage":252},"\u002Fimages\u002Fopredelitel\u002Findex.png",1787114562574]