Skylark

The Skylark is a rather dull-looking species on the ground, being mainly brown above and paler below. It has a short blunt crest on the head, which can be raised and lowered. In flight it shows a short tail and short broad wings. The tail and the rear edge of the wings are edged with white, which are visible when the bird is flying away, but not if it is heading towards the observer. The Skylark has sturdy legs and spends much time on the ground foraging for seeds and insects.

The Skylark is a bird of open farmland and heath, known throughout its range (on the Blessed Isle and across the Northeast Threshold and northern coast of the Inner Sea, including Linowa, Rokan-jin, Ceben, Madura, and Azerban) for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from great heights, when the singing bird may appear as just a dot in the sky from the ground. The song generally lasts two to three minutes, but it tends to last longer later in the mating season. The male has broader wings than the female, an adaptation for more efficient hovering flight needed because of female Skylarks' preference for males that sing and hover for longer periods and so demonstrate that they are likely to have good overall fitness.

The Skylark makes a grass nest on the ground, hidden amongst vegetation. It is sometimes found nesting in bracken, using it for cover. Generally the nests are very difficult to find. The eggs are yellow/white with brownish/purple spots mainly at the large end.

The song and flight of skylarks have inspired tune and poem for generations. The bird is a symbol of the Ascending Earth month in Dynastic Fashions.