Early spring Horned Lark male on Antelope Island State Park
Meet the Horned Lark, chosen by the American Birding Association as the 2026 ABA Bird of the Year. A bold pick, and honestly a great one.
This is a bird of wide open spaces, subtle beauty, and quiet toughness. Not flashy, not loud, but endlessly interesting once you slow down and really look. The little “horns” alone feel like a wink from nature.
Marvelous choice, ABA. The Horned Lark is about to get the spotlight it has long deserved.
West Desert male Horned Lark on sagebrush
Seeing, hearing, and photographing Horned Larks always brought me joy, even when they could be hard to find and point out at times.
In Utah, Horned Larks were some of the earliest breeding birds I saw. They often began courting before the snow had completely melted. They are tough little birds.
Horned Larks are birds of open country and are found in areas with lots of bare ground throughout North America.
I’ll be writing more about Horned Larks soon since they are the 2026 ABA Bird of the Year! I have plenty of photos of this species I haven’t shared yet. I adore these little songbirds.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Horned Lark photos plus facts and information about this species.
I love these pics. What an interesting bird! I think the Horned Lark is new to my ever evolving ornithological vocabulary. Wonderful detail in these shots. Thanks Mia.
What a cool bird!
Good Morning,
Last year I observed what I thought was one of the many House Sparrows that enjoy my bird feeder. This one had tufts, so I thought to myself, young horned owl. I suppose I am not the only one out there that has misidentified many species as simply Sparrows. Before stumbling onto On The Wing photography I thought a Lifer was a career in the military.
Thanks for sharing