Habitat
Open, generally barren country, avoids forests (Beason 1995). In B.C., breeds at elevations up to 2,800 m in open space uncluttered with trees, shrubs, or even tall forbs, typically above timberline in mountainous regions (Campbell et al. 1997). In the Yukon, nests on dry alpine tundra, often near exposed rocky areas or stony heath; or on dry tundra in coastal areas, often on hilltops or ridges where gravel and rock is exposed (Salter et al. 1980, Alexander et al. 2003).
References
Alexander, S. A., F. I. Doyle, C. D. Ecker, H. Grünberg, N. L. Hughes, M. Jensen, I. Johnson, D. H. Mossop, W. A. Nixon, and P. H. Sinclair. 2003. Birds of the Yukon Territory (P. H. Sinclair, W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes, eds.). UBC Press, Vancouver, B.C.
Beason, R. C. 1995. Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris). In The Birds of North America, No. 195 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union.
Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser, M. C. E. McNall, and G. E. J. Smith. 1997. The Birds of British Columbia. Volume 3. Passerines: flycatchers through vireos. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. 693 pages.
Salter, R. E., M. A. Gollop, S. R. Johnson, W. R. Koski, and C. E. Tull. 1980. Distribution and abundance of birds on the arctic coastal plains of the Northern Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories, 1971-1976. Can. Field-Nat. 94: 219-238.
