Eremophila (bird)
| Eremophila | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Horned lark | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Alaudidae |
| Genus: | Eremophila F. Boie, 1828 |
| Species | |
|
E. bilopha | |
The bird genus Eremophila comprises the two horned larks. The current genus name is from Ancient Greek eremos, "desert", and phileo, "to love".[1] The species are:
- the horned lark, Eremophila alpestris, known in Europe as the shore lark,
- and Temminck's lark, or Temminck's horned lark, Eremophila bilopha.
These are larks of open country which nest on the ground. The migratory horned lark breeds across much of northern North America, Europe and Asia and in the mountains of Europe. Temminck’s lark is mainly a resident breeding species across much of north Africa, through northern Arabia to western Iraq.
Unlike most other larks, these are distinctive looking species with striking head and face patterns, black and white in Temminck’s lark and black and yellow in most horned larks. In the summer males of both species have black "horns", which give these larks their alternative names.