Williams's lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. Discovered in 1955, much of its life and ecology is still a mystery to ornithology.
Region
East Africa
Typical Environment
This lark inhabits open, semi-desert plains with sparse, low grasses and scattered dwarf shrubs. It favors stony or lava-strewn flats with extensive bare ground interspersed with short bunchgrasses. After rains it uses fresh grass growth and seed-rich patches, but retreats to barer expanses as conditions dry. It nests on the ground in well-concealed shallow cups placed under tufts of grass or small shrubs.
Altitude Range
400–1200 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Williams's lark is a little-known Kenyan endemic of arid plains, first described in 1955. It performs conspicuous dawn song-flights, rising on fluttering wings before parachuting down while singing. The species is very local and patchily distributed, often appearing after seasonal rains when grasses sprout.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with parachuting display glide
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. The male performs elevated song-flights over a small territory; the nest is a ground cup hidden beneath grass or shrubs. Clutches are small, and both adults remain inconspicuous near the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A bright, tinkling series of trills and repeated phrases delivered from an aerial display, often at dawn. When on the ground, calls are softer chips used to maintain contact and signal alarm.
Plumage
Sandy to buff-brown upperparts heavily streaked with darker centers, with paler, lightly streaked underparts and a more marked breast. Wings show warm rufous tones and darker flight feathers; tail with pale outer edges. Overall appearance is cryptic and well-matched to arid ground.
Diet
It takes small seeds from grasses and forbs, supplemented by arthropods such as beetles, ants, and termites. During breeding and after rains, it increases intake of insects to meet protein needs. It picks items from the surface or makes short probes in loose soil and litter.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on open, sparsely vegetated ground, along the edges of grass tussocks, and on stony flats. It often forages near low shrubs that provide rapid cover when disturbed.
