How to Breed Larks Artificially? Methods and Techniques Explained
The lark has been listed as a national second-class protected animal. It is a representative bird of the grasslands and belongs to the small songbirds, often singing while flying; because it flies very high, people often only hear its voice without seeing it. So, how are larks artificially bred?
1. How Larks Are Artificially Bred
They generally begin pairing in late March and select a nesting area to breed. The nest is built in the grass on the ground, made of grass blades and thin wormwood stalks, and is cup-shaped. The breeding season is from May to July, with 4 to 5 eggs per clutch. After 15 days of incubation, the chicks hatch. Newly hatched chicks are naked, with down feathers only on some parts, and they open their eyes only after 7 days.
2. Distinguishing Male from Female Larks
For chicks in their first juvenile plumage stage, that is, chicks that have not yet molted, one should choose birds with an overall thick and sturdy beak shape, a slightly hooked beak tip, a deep beak cleft, a relatively large head, a slightly wide forehead, large eyes with eye corners, large and clearly defined scaly markings on the wings, thick legs, large toes, and a slightly wider gap between the two legs. Adult male birds have dark overall plumage color, show a metallic sheen under strong light, have dark black spots on both sides of the chest, and hold the head slightly upward when standing still; female larks have lighter plumage color on the head and neck, and the black spots on both sides of the chest are less obvious than those of males. For birds in their second juvenile plumage stage, that is, young birds that have already molted once, because they are already close to adults, in addition to following the selection criteria for the first juvenile plumage stage above, special attention should also be paid to the bird's upper chest. Choose birds with clearly prominent black band markings, bright overall plumage, clear markings, and long, straight hind toe claws.