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The Horned Lark is strictly associated with open habitats throughout the year, and typically prefers areas with only sparse, short vegetation. Breeding populations in northern B.C. and in the mountain ranges of southern and central B.C. (E.a.arcticola) occur solely at high elevations on alpine meadows, barren ridges, fell fields, scree slopes, and dry tundra; foraging birds often range onto snowfields. Populations breeding at low elevations in the southern interior (E.a.merrilli) are restricted to open, arid, often overgrazed grasslands and rolling prairies and avoid dry brushy habitats such as sagebrush steppes. Migrants in the interior occur in open habitats such as grasslands, agricultural areas, grassy meadows, lakeshores, river bars, airports, and golf courses; in forested areas, fall migrants are often associated with recent clearcuts, roadsides, and landings. Along the coast, migrants occur primarily on beaches, dunes, mudflats, rock jetties, agricultural areas, airports, and other open habitats with short vegetation.

Source: Campbell et al. (1997)

Breeds widely across much of North America, from Alaska east to Baffin Island and Newfoundland, south through much of Canada and the United States (although absent from much of the boreal forest, the Pacific coast of Canada and the northwestern U.S., and the southeastern U.S.) to northern and central Mexico. There is an isolated population in Columbia. It is also widespread throughout much of Eurasia, from Europe east across northern and central Asia, with an isolated population in northern Africa (Morocco).

Breeding
Fairly common to common across northern B.C. from the Coast Mountains east to the Rocky Mountains, as well as south at alpine elevations along the Coast Mountains to the northern Cascade Range (Manning Park, Cathedral Lakes, etc.). Uncommon at high elevations south along the Rocky Mountains of eastern B.C., as well as in the Cariboo Range east of Quesnel and north of Kamloops. Uncommon to fairly common in the grasslands of the south-central interior, primarily in the Thompson-Nicola Basin and the Chilcotin region (rare through the Okanagan Valley), and rare to uncommon in the southern Rocky Mountain Trench of the southeastern interior. Formerly uncommon and local in extreme southwestern B.C. (southeast Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland) but apparently now extirpated from this region.

Winter
Uncommon in winter in the grasslands of the south-central interior, including the Okanagan Valley and Thompson-Nicola Basin. Very rare and irregular farther north in winter to the Chilcotin region, and casual east to the Arrow Lakes and Creston Valley. It is also very rare in winter on the south coast, including southeast Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, and casual north to the northern mainland coast and Queen Charlotte Islands.

Migration
Uncommon to fairly common spring and fall migrant throughout the interior (east of the Coast Mountains). Rare spring and uncommon fall migrant on the south coast (primarily Vancouver Island and the southern mainland coast) and very rare spring and fall migrant on the northern and central mainland coast, including the Queen Charlotte Islands, and northern and western Vancouver Island.

The first spring migrants appear in the southern interior in late February or early March and numbers build throughout March and the first half of April, with the latest northward-bound migrants moving through the southern interior in late April or early May. The earliest spring migrants in the southern interior (February, early March) are largely referable to E.a.merrilli, with flocks of E.a.arcticola moving through primarily in March and April. In the central interior, the earliest spring migrants do not appear until mid-to late March (exceptionally as early as late February), with most birds moving through between mid-April and early May; the latest spring migrants in this area occur in late May. In the far north, spring migration occurs between mid- to late April and late May, with peak movements during the first half of May. On the south coast, the earliest spring migrants appear in early February, with small numbers moving through during March and April; the latest spring migrants on the south coast occur into mid- to late May.

Fall migrants are first noted away from the breeding grounds in the interior in early August, with peak southward movements occurring throughout the interior between late August and late September (central interior) or late October (southern interior). Most birds have vacated the far north by early to mid-September, but farther south the latest fall migrants often linger into late October (central interior) or mid-November (southern interior). The latest fall migrants in the southern interior are often difficult to differentiate from wintering populations. On the south coast, fall migration occurs primarily between late August and mid-November, with peak movements between mid-September and late October.

Source: Campbell et al. (1997)

Although Horned Lark populations are relatively large and stable throughout much of British Columbia, populations that formerly bred on the south coast (E.a.strigata) have suffered greatly from a variety of factors over the past century and now appear to be extirpated from the province. This subspecies was formerly an uncommon breeder in Garry Oak meadows, coastal dunes, pastures, farmlands, and open fields on southeastern Vancouver Island and throughout the Lower Mainland (east to Chilliwack). Fire suppression, urban and industrial development, exotic plant invasion, and intensive agricultural practices (mowing, etc.) have altered or destroyed most of the historical habitat for this species, however, and this led to a precipitous decline throughout the 20th century. The last confirmed breeding in this province was in 1978, and the last confirmed observation of an individual occurred in 2002 on Vancouver Island. Populations of E.a.strigata are declining significantly elsewhere throughout its small range (southwest Washington, northwest Oregon), with only 300-500 individuals remaining.

The subspecies breeding in the grasslands of the south-central interior (E.a.merrilli) is also relatively uncommon and is recognized as a blue-listed species by the B.C. CDC (Conservation Data Centre); however, it adapts well to disturbed landscapes (including overgrazed grasslands) and does not appear to be experiencing any particularly serious declines.

Source: Campbell et al. (2001); Garry Oak Recovery Team (2003)

The Horned Lark is one of the most widespread and geographically variable species of passerines in the world, with no less than 21 subspecies currently recognized in North America (and many others in Eurasia, Mexico, and South America). Much of this geographic variation is relatively weakly defined, however, with numerous examples of clinal variation and broad intergradation. Four subspecies are listed as occurring in British Columbia, with a fifth subspecies possibly occurring locally in southwestern portions of the province.

The subspecies occurring (or suspected of occurring) in British Columbia are as follows:

Eremophila alpestris arcticola (Oberholser)
This subspecies is known as the “Pallid” Horned Lark. It breeds widely throughout alpine regions of northern B.C., as well as south along the Coast and Rocky Mountains, and winters in the southern interior of the province. It is the most widespread migratory subspecies, including in coastal areas of the province. This subspecies is larger than other western subspecies, and has a wholly white throat and supercilium. It is noticeably paler than adjacent populations of E.a.merrilli.

Eremophila alpestris hoyti (Bishop)
This subspecies is known as the “Arctic” Horned Lark. It breeds in arctic regions of the Northwest Territories and other northern regions (northern Alberta east to northern Ontario) and is a fairly common migrant through the Fort Nelson region of extreme northeastern B.C. There is a single specimen record of this subspecies from the Okanagan Valley in winter. It is similar to E.a.arcticola, but has slightly darker and browner upperparts as well as a yellow throat.

Eremophila alpestris merrilli (Dwight)
This subspecies is known as the “Dusky” Horned Lark. It breeds grassland habitats at low elevations in the southern interior of the province (Chilcotin region, Thompson-Nicola Basin, southern Rocky Mountain Trench, etc.) and winters in the western United States (very rarely into the southern interior of B.C.). This subspecies is smaller than E.a.arcticola, and is relatively dark and brown on the upperparts with a yellow throat and supercilium. The breast (below the black breast band) is sometimes faintly washed with yellow.

Eremophila alpestris strigata (Henshaw)
This subspecies is known as the “Streaked” Horned Lark. It was a former breeder on southeastern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, but is now apparently extirpated. This is a small, dark subspecies with a yellowish wash on the underparts (especially the lower breast), a pinkish or rufous tinge to the daker brown upperparts and sides, and an extensively yellow throat and supercilium.

Eremophila alpestris alpina (Jewett)
This subspecies is known as the “Alpine” Horned Lark. It breeds in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains of western Washington, and may range as a breeder into extreme southwestern B.C. along the Cascade Mountains (Manning Park, Cathedral Lakes) or during the winter in coastal or southern interior regions of the province. It is very similar to the more widespread E.a.arcticola, but is smaller and less brownish (upperparts more strongly tinged with pinkish).

Source: Beason (1995); Campbell et al. (1997); Pyle (1997)