Streaked Horned Lark
The Streaked Horned Lark is Portland’s most imperiled bird species with less than 2,000 left. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2013, the species precariously hangs on despite continued habitat loss and degradation exacerbated by weak regulatory protections due to key exemptions in the ESA listing. Currently, Bird Alliance of Oregon is helping fight for this species’ survival through litigation to uplist the species to endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act as previous attempts to advocate for a strong recovery plan and habitat protections have been left unanswered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Threats to Streaked Horned Larks and Grassland Birds
The Streaked Horned Lark’s range has contracted dramatically, with the core breeding population restricted to the South Puget Sound in the north to the Willamette Valley to the south. This species prefers sparsely vegetated grasslands and prairies for nesting. Historically these habitats were created through natural processes including fires and river channel shifts. Now the birds depend largely on human-modified habitats including grass seed farms, airport land, undeveloped industrial sites and dredge spoil islands. Unfortunately, because the species is listed as “threatened” (not endangered) under the ESA, the 4(d) rule relaxes lark protections at airports and farmlands. Restrictions on limiting “critical habitat” designation to sites the larks currently occupy additionally hamper this species recovery. The world population estimate for Streaked Horned Larks stands at approximately 1,600 individuals.
Streaked Horned Larks are emblematic of the overall decrease in a number of grassland bird species in western Oregon. A 2010 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife study documented declines in Western Meadowlark and Oregon Vesper Sparrow in the Willamette Valley. Oregon’s Conservation Strategy lists a number of Willamette Valley grassland-dependent species as species of concern including the Grasshopper Sparrow, Oregon Vesper Sparrow, Streaked Horned Lark, Short-eared Owl, and Western Meadowlark. Across the U.S. grassland birds have declined dramatically with one third of species on the State of the Birds Watchlist.
Our Work to Protect Streaked Horned Larks and Grassland Birds
After the US Fish and Wildlife Services’ failure to produce a viable Species Status Assessment and Recovery Plan we were left no other option but to join a lawsuit with the Center for Biological Diversity in an attempt to uplist the species from threatened to endangered. We are a member of the Streaked Horned Lark Working Group and have supported local efforts at Sauvie Island and elsewhere in the Portland Metro region to restore and protect Streaked Horned Lark habitat.
How you can help
- Stay tuned for updates on the status of the lawsuit to uplist the species to endangered.
- Support efforts to restore grassland habitats
- Join Bird Alliance of Oregon birding trips to the Willamette Valley Refuges to see this species and learn more about its challenges
Natural History: Streaked Horned Lark
Name: Streaked Horned Lark
Scientific Name: Eremophila alpestris strigata
Conservation Status: Federally listed as Threatened
Habitat: Streaked Horned Larks prefer open fields with large patches of bare ground and sparse, short grasses. They can also be found on beaches, plowed agricultural fields, mudflats, and remnant prairies.
Food: During the winter, Horned Larks mostly consume plant seeds, or waste grain on farm fields. During the breeding season, they focus more on insects as females need substantial protein to produce eggs and to feed growing chicks.
Nest Type: The female creates a depression in the ground in open grassland habitat near their forage, often next to a rock or clump of grass to block the wind. She then weaves a nest inside the hole made of fine grasses and other tender plant parts, then lines that nest with feathers, fur, and other soft materials.
Behavior: Horned Larks are territorial during breeding season and gregarious in the non-breeding season. Males court females through a display dance: holding his body nearly horizontal, the bird fans his tail, puffs out his chest and struts back and forth while vibrating his drooped wings, all the while twittering with mouth open. He can keep this up for nearly a full minute!
Description: Streaked Horned Larks are a small subspecies of Horned Lark, about 7” in length. Males are dusty brown above and light below, with a yellow face and streaky yellow breast, a crisp black collar, black eye-mask, and a black headband that extends into tiny tufts or “horns” which are raised during the breeding season. Females have similar head and breast patterns but are paler and less crisply defined.
Fun Facts!
- Females often add a collection of found objects next to the nest during construction, called “pavings”. Pavings include small rocks, parts of corn stalks or cobs, dried cow dung and dirt clods. Perhaps this helps to prevent nest material from blowing away, but the exact reason remains a mystery.
- Horned Larks are one of the earliest species to sing in the day, beginning their performance before dawn. These birds sing two song types: a short, rapid, twittering song (called “intermittent”) a longer, rambling song that can last up to a full minute (called “recitative”). When the bird sings his Recitative Song in flight, he first flies up at a steep angle, then faces into the breeze, spreads his wings and tail feathers and sings loudly while slowly beating his wings.
- Streaked Horned Larks are endemic to the Pacific Northwest, meaning this subspecies lives nowhere else on the planet. Their population is in steep decline, primarily due to loss of open grasslands. Human-caused risks to their remaining habitat could be mitigated with stronger protection and more robust enhancement efforts. Let’s restore our grasslands!