Skylarks: they pass through Italy between October and November
Man has always waited for the migration of birds to catch them. Even today that of larks it is particularly awaited as hunting proves to be highly rewarding for those hunters who organize it with respect for common sense and for the animal they intend to hunt.
Another particularly interesting species when it comes to the Italian migratory step is certainly the alauda arvensis, to make it simpler the much loved lark, which in this subspecies is particularly common in Italy. With its size (wingspan that oscillates between 30 and 36 cm), and its reddish brown plumage it is impossible not to become the protagonist of the Italian skies when it crosses them.
During the migrations the lark proves to be a social animal, and the movements take place in groups of even particularly large dimensions. Some flocks can even reach 1000 units. The only period in which it is particularly solitary and territorial is the reproductive one.
The areas in which it is possible to find the wonderful lark are really numerous and the bird has a very wide range of destruction compared to related species. It inhabits the territories ranging from the Azores to England, from Europe to Siberia, from Afghanistan to Iran and finally from North Africa to Turkey.
It normally nests in Europe, north-western Africa and Asia, and for the winter it usually goes to the areas further south than its own range. The migrations are inaugurated in autumn and at the end of winter the larks return to the places they started from. The species of central and western Europe often manage also to spend the winter in the nesting place, presenting traits of sedentary lifestyle.
The species that come from northern Europe heading towards the Italian territory, are in step during the months of October and November and in the months of March and April, while in the beautiful country the lark appears as a stationary bird that only partially moves during the winter. In principle it can be said that the lark is stationary and winter in the territories of southern Italy.
The couples who choose Italy and its plains for wintering and nesting can be recognized with a certain ease compared to those of passage, given that they appear more solitary and rise at a great distance from the hunter. Thanks to wide turns in flight they are able to reach even the center meters of height.
Stray hunting during periods of passage is the most used for catching the lark. In this phase they are more subject to calls and if they raise their flight excessively, it is possible to try to approach them using the whistle. But the success of the hunt is all in the hands of the hunter, his speed of reflexes and his experience.