Greater Short-toed Lark

Greater Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla dukhunensis) is the eastern dukhunensis form of a small pale lark with a short conical bill, streaked sandy upperparts and lightly marked underparts. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It uses dry open grassland and cultivated country, feeding on seeds and insects on the ground; migratory birds form tight coordinated flocks while travelling between breeding and wintering regions. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).