The Malabar lark, or Malabar crested lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in western India.
Region
Western Ghats and Malabar Coast
Typical Environment
Found along the western coastal plains and foothills of India, especially across the Malabar Coast, Konkan, and adjacent Deccan fringes. It favors open scrub, fallow fields, rocky grasslands, and lightly cultivated areas with scattered bushes or lateritic outcrops. The species often occurs near human-modified landscapes but requires patches of bare ground for foraging and sparse cover for nesting. It avoids dense forest and highly urbanized cores. Local densities can be high where low scrub and open cropland intermix.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Malabar lark, also called the Malabar crested lark, is a ground-dwelling songbird native to western India. It is easily recognized by its prominent erectile crest and rich, varied song often delivered from a perch or during short display flights. It thrives in open, stony scrub and agricultural edges and is a year-round resident across its range.
Temperament
alert and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with shallow undulations
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season and in small loose groups at other times. Nests are shallow cups placed on the ground, often tucked under a tuft of grass or small shrub. Pairs are monogamous within a season and defend a foraging territory. Displays include crest-raising, wing-flicks, and brief song flights.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, varied series of trills, whistles, and chirrs delivered from a low perch, rock, or during fluttering display flights. Calls include sharp chips and soft contact notes when foraging on the ground.
Plumage
Warm brown, heavily streaked upperparts with a streaked buff breast and paler belly; feathers are coarse-textured and well-camouflaged against stony ground. The crest is prominent and erectile, giving a peaked profile when raised.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of grass seeds, grains, and small invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, and caterpillars. Diet shifts toward more insects during the breeding season to provision chicks. It picks items from bare soil or short turf and occasionally probes soft ground after rain.
Preferred Environment
Forages on open, sparsely vegetated ground, lateritic plateaus, and edges of fields and paths. Often uses tractor tracks, fallow plots, and rocky clearings where seeds and insects are exposed.
