Woodlark

The Woodlark is a bird that is identified according to the circumstances by its silhouette, plumage and voice. It is smaller than the Meadow Lark and more compact. By comparison its wings are wider and more rounded. Its tail is clearly shorter and the white is at the tip not on the outer edges. Regarding its plumage it is necessary to look at the head which shows clear white eyebrows that join together on the neck and reddish-ochre ear coverts, usually with a light patch under the eye. Then one should take interest in the wing edge at the hand level where the characteristic insignia of the species is found. The alula is largely whitish and just behind are black primary coverts with white at the tip, this giving a visible longitudinal "white-black-white" insignia. Its voice will be dealt with in the next chapter. One may also note a thinner beak, pink at the base of the lower mandible, and a more elongated posterior claw.
Otherwise the plumage is rather similar. Upperparts brown with blackish-brown streaks. Underparts cream white with blackish-brown streaks, fine on the chest and indiscernible on the flanks. On the other hand, from underneath in flight, the aspect is very different to that of the Meadow Lark. The dark remiges contrast with the white coverts and the black tail with white tip contrasts with the white undertail coverts.
The juvenile has the tectrix of the head, mantle and back as well as the alar and tertiary coverts dark-brown with a wide beige-ochre border and white tip. This gives the head a mottled look and the upperparts a scaly look. Its head pattern is more noticeable. Thus it can be seen more clearly than the adult's the black moustache, white sub-moustache and black malear line bordering the white throat.There is no sexual dimorphism. The pallida subspecies from Southern Europe is a slightly paler and grayer.