Identification
A small, compact lark with blackish upperparts that appear very scaly in fresh plumage, a bold whitish eyebrow that starts in front of the eye, and a pale belly that contrasts strongly with blotchy blackish breast streaks. The stout bill is bicolored: pale below and dark on the tip and ridge of the upper mandible. Tail is mostly dark with bold white outer feathers that are conspicuous in flight. Resident in cropped grassland, mostly on black cotton soils, preferring lake edges. Somewhat furtive, preferring to dart into cover rather than parade in the open. Sings a rambling set of whistles, churrs, and chips in a protracted aerial display, lacking trills and with a simpler structure than Singing Bushlark. Other similar larks are less strongly contrasting, with more tawny-gray tones in the plumage.