The Mediterranean short-toed lark is a small passerine bird found in and around the Mediterranean Basin. It is a common bird with a very wide range from Canary Islands north to the Iberian Peninsula and east throughout North Africa to parts of the Middle East. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Region
Mediterranean Basin and adjacent North Africa and Middle East
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Canary Islands and Iberian Peninsula across North Africa to parts of the Middle East. It inhabits semi-arid plains, steppe, stony fields, coastal dunes, salt flats, and fallow agricultural land. Prefers areas with low, patchy vegetation and ample bare ground for foraging. In farmland mosaics it uses field margins, tracks, and lightly grazed pastures. Local movements may occur in response to rainfall and food availability.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small lark favors dry, open habitats with sparse vegetation and is often overlooked due to its cryptic plumage and ground-dwelling habits. Males deliver a tinkling, rolling song from low song-flights or from the ground. It was formerly lumped with Asian populations but is now treated as a separate species centered on the Mediterranean Basin. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern due to its wide range and large population.
Eggs of Alaudala rufescens minor MHNT
Temperament
wary, ground-oriented, and unobtrusive; more social outside breeding season
Flight Pattern
short, low flights with rapid wingbeats; occasional undulating song-flights
Social Behavior
Breeds in loose territories or pairs, nesting on the ground in a shallow scrape lined with plant material. Clutches typically contain 2–4 eggs, and both parents attend young. Outside the breeding season it forms small to medium-sized flocks, often mixing with other larks. Displays and song are often performed from the ground or during brief aerial circles.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A light, tinkling series of trills and rolling notes, often delivered in a gentle, continuous stream. Song is given during short display flights or from a low perch/ground, carrying well over open habitats.
Plumage
Sandy-brown to rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark streaking; pale buff underparts with weak breast streaks; overall very cryptic and sandy.
Diet
Consumes small seeds of grasses and forbs for much of the year, switching to a higher proportion of insects during the breeding season. Takes ants, beetles, small caterpillars, and other arthropods picked from the ground. Forages by walking and gleaning on bare soil, occasionally probing soft substrates. Will use recently tilled fields and grazed swards where seeds and invertebrates are accessible.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on sparsely vegetated steppe, stubble, and fallow fields with extensive bare patches. Often along track edges, dune flats, and salt-steppe mosaics where cover is low.
