The Skylark in my opinion, is a much under-rated bird, and
is overlooked by many as maybe they consider it to be just a drab
brown bird. In real terms it is a very attractive bird, with
intricately marked feathering, a wonderful song and charming
nature.
It is a bird just a little bigger than the greenfinch,
certainly smaller than a starling, so not as big as many would
expect.
Many recognise them as the birds seen as a speck high in the sky,
singing its heart out and consider
that they are not good aviary subjects needing loads of space, but
it is far from this.
As an aviary subject the Skylark is very easy to keep, it
is quite happy in a standard flight of 2m x 1 m x 2m tall, it has
very simple dietary requirements and can be kept with other
softbills or finches without trouble.
I would almost describe it as the British softbill version
of the Chinese painted quail that many keep in aviaries, but that
would not do it justice. Certainly one of the easiest of softbills
to cater for!
Sexing of the birds can be a problem and that is one slight
drawback, the cock is the only sex that
sings so from that point of view you can tell the cocks, but some
cocks may not sing, and hens do occasionally “warble”so it is
sorting a guaranteed hen that is the
issue.
There are a few other ways of
checking;
The cocks are generally a bit bigger and on average weigh
35 - 40g whereas the hens are generally smaller birds weighing
average of 30 - 35g.
The length of the wing in a hen is shorter, hens tend to be between
90–100 mm whilst cocks tend to be
100-110 mm, so checking cocks and hens from the same brood is
pretty reliable this way, but from different bloodlines it becomes
less accurate, as you could have a large hen and small cock
bird.
Cocks also have a longer rear claw than
hens.
Cocks when disturbed will fly up to the roof and stay up there
flying around whereas hens will come
back down again quickly.
With experience, as I have found, you can generally tell the sexes
with a combination of the above factors.
DNA sexing is of course the best answer if you are not sure
and is relatively inexpensive these days.
Buying birds from trusted fellow bird keepers, is fairly
safe, as I have not had trouble and the birds I have since sold
were 100% known sex and I believe other genuine breeders are the
same.
Housing
The aviaries I use have concrete or slab bases to help
minimise vermin and on top of this base I use a couple of inches of
garden compost or chipped bark and add a couple of good hands full
of hay in a dry corner and this gives the birds a substrate to work
through plus I can then just clear the lot out at the end of the
season.
I then add a few large pots for plants such as ferns,
grasses and fir trees, it gives the birds somewhere to hide and
feel secure. I always cover the entire roofs of all my flights and
at least 2 of the sides, and especially with Skylarks you must give
consideration to at least half of the floor remaining dry even in
heavy rain, especially when nesting!
To finish off the Skylarks housing requirements, a couple
of large perches across the flight or a corner at about 1m high
will provide a singing perch for the cock bird and roosting should
they wish to be off the ground.
Nest sites can consist of a good handful of hay and some
coconut fibre placed in a corner, perhaps with a grass or couple of
logs to give them some privacy.
A potted shrub or fir also add to the appearance & gives
more cover should they need it.
These birds will share happily with other birds without issue or
major interference. Being ground dwellers,
they tend not to compete to much with another
species.
You do not need to worry too much about pairing these birds
up, just introduce them into their breeding flight as soon as you
have a pair and they should be fine.
Like all softbills, there are exceptions so please do watch
them after introduction to each other or even a change in their
environment, as there can be issues of aggression especially with
an overzealous cock bird with a hen that is not ready, it can lead
to disaster. Make sure you give some cover for the hen to be able
to retreat, if the cock does become difficult.
One thing is to regulate the livefood the cock bird
gets, so he does not get “over-fit” before the hen is
ready
Introduction is best before winter or during the early
spring.
Feeding
The basic diet for these birds is something I mix up in a
tub full at a time, consisting of mainly a good universal softbill
mix, weed seeds, a moist type egg food, a sprinkling of niger and a
few sunflower earts.
When feeding, I then add grated broccoli or carrot and a
little grated cheese occasionally.
The food is offered on the floor in a shallow
dish.
Always provide a dish of clean drinking/ bathing water,
although these birds do not appear to bathe particularly often!
The breeding diet when chicks are imminent, consists of a
large shallow dish containing an unlimited supply of mealworms, plus I also give frozen pinkie and
regular maggots and occasional wax worms, which like most birds
appear to be favourites.
Breeding
If you over winter birds indoors (not that there is a need
– but some chose to, for ease of management), then mid April is
when to let the birds into their breeding
quarters.
Some birds can be very easy & prolific, just building a
nest in full view in a corner of the flight using coco fibre & hair
& get straight on with it.
Some can be a bit more secretive & I have offered areas
with logs for them to hide behind, or even a large plant pot laid
on its side with hay stuffed in.
I have also known thenest up in the air in robin type nest
boxes or even thrush nest sites - but this is the exception & only
offer sites at ground level.
They lay between 4 or 5 eggs, and one thing you have to remember
with Skylarks is they incubate
for just
11 days, one of the shortest in British birds, so don’t let it
catch you out!
The fluffy chicks hopefully hatch and grow very quickly. It is
because these birds are ground nesters that the incubation period
is short and the growth is rapid, in the wild these birds need to
be mobile as soon as possible to reduce risk from predators. If
being fed well, you will need to ring the chicks at 3 or 4
days old
with the size G rings, you have a very short window when the feet
are just the right size.
At around 10 or 11 days old the chicks are leaving the nest
and scurrying off to hide in the flight, in fact I have known the
hen to start lay another clutch in a new nest with the previous
chicks just 10 days old!
A good cock bird does a lot of the feeding & obviously
takes over completely when the chicks fledge to allow the hen to
nest again.
I have more recently been attempting breeding these birds
in large breeding cages!
They take to this surprisingly well, and a cage of 4ft or
6ft long, and with an 18” depth seems to be very
suitable!
You do of course need steady birds that are used to being in the
cages, but they nest quite
happily in
a corner either under the cage front or at the rear of cage, I use
a deep wood chip bedding, some hay & coco fibre & they build quite
happily.
The majority of skylarks tend to be good reliable breeders
and good parents, but one thing is always guaranteed with birds –
nothing is ever certain!
They certainly are an
interesting, bird & well worth
trying!