Horned Lark

Horned Larks are amazing birds that spend all winter with us, are very common, sing a beautiful song (one of my favorites), are distinctively marked, and manage to live completely unnoticed. They are a member of the true lark family, unlike the meadowlark, a member of the blackbird family. The top photo gives an explanation for why they are overlooked. They are almost impossible to pick out in corn or soybean stubble. They spend almost all their time in agricultural fields and rarely perch on an exposed spot. You can see their "horns" in the bottom photo.