0 the horned lark (eremophila alpestris), called the shore lark in europe , is a species of bird in the genus eremophila .
1  the current genus name is from ancient greek eremos , "desert", and phileo , "to love" .
2  the specific alpestris is latin and means "of the high mountains", from alpes , the alps .
3 unlike most other larks , this is a distinctive-looking species on the ground , mainly brown-grey above and pale below , with a striking black and yellow face pattern .
4  the summer male has black "horns", which give this species its american name .
5  america has a number of races distinguished by the face pattern and back color of males , especially in summer .
6  the southern european mountain race eremophila alpestris penicillata is greyer above , and the yellow of the face pattern is replaced with white .
7 vocalizations are high-pitched , lisping or tinkling , and weak .
8  the song , given in flight as is common among larks , consists of a few chips followed by a warbling , ascending trill .
9 the shore lark breeds across much of north america from the high arctic south to the isthmus of tehuantepec , northernmost europe and asia and in the mountains of southeast europe .
10  there is also an isolated population on a plateau in colombia .
11  it is mainly resident in the south of its range , but northern populations of this passerine bird are migratory , moving further south in winter .
12 this is a bird of open ground .
13  in eurasia it breeds above the tree line in mountains and the far north .
14  in most of europe , it is most often seen on seashore flats in winter , leading to the european name .
15  in the uk it can be found as a winter stopover along the coasts and in eastern england although a mated pair have been recently spotted in windmill end nature reserve in the west midlands .
16  in america , where there are no other larks to compete with , it's also found on farmland , on prairies , in deserts , on golf courses and airports , and the like .
17 the nest is on the ground , with 2-5 eggs being laid .
18  food is seeds supplemented with insects in the breeding season .
19  the nest may be near corn or soybeans for a source of food , and the female chooses the site .
20 in the open areas of western north america , horned larks are among the bird species most often killed by wind turbines .
