Wood lark (Lullula arborea) (Linnaeus, 1758) Πευκοτρασιήλα - Δεντροσταρήθρα - Cyprus

The woodlark or wood lark (Lullula arborea) is the only species in the lark genus Lullula. It breeds across most of Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident (non-migratory) in the west of its range, but eastern populations of this passerine bird are more migratory, moving further south in winter.

There are two subspecies of woodlark, L. a. arborea and L. a. pallida. The former is native to northern regions of Europe, while the latter can be found in the south of the woodlark's range. Their diet is mostly composed of seeds but also includes insects during the breeding period. A comparatively small bird, the woodlark is between 13.5 and 15 centimetres long and roughly 20% shorter than the skylark. It is a brown bird with a pale underside and has a white-tipped tail.

A songbird, the woodlark has a melodious, warbling song often described onomatopoeically as a lu-lu-lu- or, more precisely, as a "seriallū-lū-lū-lū-lū-", toolooeet toolooeet toolooeet. The French name, Alouette lulu, and the scientific name, Lullula arborea, are derived from the sound of its song. The male woodlark has a song flight similar to that of the Eurasian skylark but flutters more as he rises and spirals upwards, circling the ground as he sings at a fairly constant height. Both male and female birds will also sing from the ground or a perch.Birds start singing early in the season, usually around February in Britain.

The nest is generally made from grass, bracken, roots and moss and constructed in a depression on the ground. Usually between three and five eggs are laid. The female will incubate the eggs, which are whitish with brown speckles, for 13 to 15 days. Both parents will then feed the young in the nest and the chicks leave the nest after a further 11 to 13 days. Two broods will normally be raised each year.

As with many of the birds in the lark family, the woodlark is primarily vegetarian as an adult but during the breeding season will also eat medium-sized insects. The diet is mainly composed of seeds and such insects as beetles, flies and moths. During the breeding season, the female incubates the eggs in spells of approximately 45 minutes and intervals of eight minutes feeding. from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kotsiatis, 31/10/2013 by George Konstantinou