the horned lark (eremophila alpestris), called the shore lark in europe , is a species of bird in the genus eremophila .
the current genus name is from ancient greek eremos , "desert", and phileo , "to love" .
the specific alpestris is latin and means "of the high mountains", from alpes , the alps .
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 .
the summer male has black "horns", which give this species its american name .
america has a number of races distinguished by the face pattern and back color of males , especially in summer .
the southern european mountain race eremophila alpestris penicillata is greyer above , and the yellow of the face pattern is replaced with white .
vocalizations are high-pitched , lisping or tinkling , and weak .
the song , given in flight as is common among larks , consists of a few chips followed by a warbling , ascending trill .
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 .
there is also an isolated population on a plateau in colombia .
it is mainly resident in the south of its range , but northern populations of this passerine bird are migratory , moving further south in winter .
this is a bird of open ground .
in eurasia it breeds above the tree line in mountains and the far north .
in most of europe , it is most often seen on seashore flats in winter , leading to the european name .
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 .
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 .
the nest is on the ground , with 2-5 eggs being laid .
food is seeds supplemented with insects in the breeding season .
the nest may be near corn or soybeans for a source of food , and the female chooses the site .
in the open areas of western north america , horned larks are among the bird species most often killed by wind turbines .
