Description: The
conspicuous Lark Bunting is entirely black
with a large white wing patch. It reaches
a length of about seven inches. Females
and winter males are brownish with heavy
streaks. The male Lark Bunting is the only
member of the sparrow family to molt from
a bright summer plumage to a dull winter
plumage. Lark Bunting are often seen on
telephone wires or on fences.
Diet: The
Lark Bunting eats insects, grains, seeds,
and occasionally fruit. It often forages
on the ground, and will sometimes snatch
insects out of mid-air.
Range: The
Lark Bunting is primarily confined to the
western plains. It breeds east to eastern
Kansas, eastern Nebraska and the Dakotas,
west to eastern Idaho. It breeds north
to southern portions of the Canadian prairie
provinces and south to northern Oklahoma.
The Lark Bunting winters in desert regions
of Mexico and the American southwest.
Habitat: The
Lark Bunting requires grasslands, prairies,
meadows and sagebrush. In the winter, the
Lark Bunting can be found in desert regions.
Nesting: Female
Lark Buntings lay 2-6 eggs in a loose bowl
of grass on the ground, usually under a
shrub.
Status: Some
reports consider the Lark Bunting to be
a species in decline. |