The woodlark can be seen all year round. It is a similar size to a robin, streaky brown above, pale below with a long pale stripe that runs above each eye.
Woodlark by Gareth Hughes
The real joy of this bird is how early breeding starts, with territories being established as early as January. During these drab months, this unassuming bird fills the air with its melodious fluting song, often delivered during flight as it spirals upwards and downwards, singing as it moves in circles.
Our managment of this heath provides the woodlark with bare patches of soil and short turf for hunting invertebrates such as spiders, beetles and caterpillars and nearby tussocky heather for nesting during the breeding season.
Woodlarks, being ground-nesting, are easily disturbed, which leaves their eggs and chicks vulnerable to the cold and predators. It is important for us provide areas where they can breed undisturbed and to ask our visitors to keep dogs on leads in areas where ground-nesting birds are breeding.
See & hear woodlark: early spring is the best time to find woodlark as they will be singing and displaying. This year, we’ve heard them on the Triangle, the Tumuli and from the viewpoint close to the Visitor Centre.
Heathlands Reunited: This is part of a series of blogs introducing some of the fascinating creatures we find on our heathlands. They'll all be featuring on our newly interpreted trail on the heath created as part of the Heathlands Reunited Project. This partnership project, led by the South Downs National Park Authority aims to restore and reconnect the precious heathland habitat across the National Park.