A chunky, robust lark that has a heavy bill with a yellowish base, a densely streaked chest, and a small crest that is sometimes raised. A resident or partial migrant occupying arid open scrub, dry wooded grassland, and fields, where pairs and small groups walk confidently, pecking or digging for seeds and insects. Sits on low perches or trees issuing a characteristic song: a rolling, trilling “tseee-dee-ree-lee” that often includes imitations, sometimes given in flight.