{"id":75638,"date":"2020-12-02T05:56:52","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T12:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=75638"},"modified":"2026-01-12T06:06:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:06:40","slug":"46000-year-old-horned-lark-found-in-siberian-permafrost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/12\/02\/46000-year-old-horned-lark-found-in-siberian-permafrost\/","title":{"rendered":"46,000 Year Old Horned Lark Found In Siberian Permafrost"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult male Horned Lark perched on a snow bank \u2013 Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/3200, ISO 500, +0.3, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2018 fossil hunters in Siberia found a extremely well preserved bird seven meters down a tunnel in permafrost that turned out to be a 46,000 year old Horned Lark.<\/p>\n

The lark was so well preserved in the permafrost that experts were able to determine through radiocarbon dating how old the specimen was and that the lark hadn’t died a violent death.\u00a0 They also identified that the bird was a female.<\/p>\n

Through testing scientists were able to determine that the “Icebird” may be an ancestor to two distinct Horned Lark species that are alive today, one in Siberia and the other in Mongolia.<\/p>\n

Researchers hope to map the complete genome of the 46,000-year-old lark and compare it with the genomes from all subspecies of horned larks.<\/p>\n

The discovery of the “Icebird” is exciting because it is the first bird carcass procured from Ice Age permafrost deposits. During that time period woolly mammoths still roamed the earth.<\/p>\n

As I write this my mind whirls and wonders what amazing things the “Icebird” saw during her lifetime and I find myself wishing I could step through a portal to see what she might have seen providing of course that I could just as easily step back into the present time. I can dream, right?<\/p>\n

I haven’t photographed Horned Larks in Russia but I have photographed Horned Larks here in the U.S. and I appreciate their subtle beauty, their delicate, musical songs<\/span><\/a> and calls<\/span><\/a> and observing them as they go about their lives.<\/p>\n

The male Horned Lark in my photo was photographed in February of 2013 in northern Utah as he and a few other larks warmed up in the sunlight as they perched on a snow bank.<\/p>\n

The discovery of the “Icebird” is exciting and fascinating news for those of us who love birds. I hope to hear more about her in the future.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Horned Lark photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

See these sources. Some articles have more photos than others which is why I included three links to articles about the find.<\/p>\n

Frozen bird turns out to be 46,000-year-old horned lark<\/span><\/a> – ScienceDaily.com<\/p>\n

Frozen bird that was so well preserved fossil hunters thought it ‘died yesterday’ turns out to be 46,000 YEAR-OLD<\/span> <\/a>– dailymail.co.uk<\/p>\n

Frozen bird found in Siberia is 46,000 years old<\/span><\/a> – CNN.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2018 fossil hunters in Siberia found a extremely well preserved bird seven meters down a tunnel in permafrost that turned out to be a 46,000 year old Horned Lark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":166695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,436,26],"tags":[4181,6926,1327,10671,6433,2136,4062,10672,10673,10674,4050,4535,10670,4328,10675,373],"class_list":["post-75638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-horned-larks","category-utah","tag-eremophila-alpestris","tag-frozen","tag-horned-lark","tag-icebird","tag-lark","tag-larks-2","tag-male","tag-permafrost","tag-russia","tag-siberia","tag-snow","tag-snow-bank","tag-snowbank","tag-snowy","tag-specimen","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-snow-bank-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-8439.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-jFY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":166438,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/01\/06\/horned-lark-meet-the-2026-aba-bird-of-the-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":75638,"position":0},"title":"Horned Lark – Meet The 2026 ABA Bird Of The Year","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Early spring Horned Lark male on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-adult-mia-mcpherson-2132.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7636,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/25\/horned-larks-in-box-elder-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":75638,"position":1},"title":"Horned Larks in Box Elder County","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I spotted a flock of Horned Larks in Box Elder County, some were foraging on the road and a few were perched on mounds of snow that someone had plowed. 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McPherson","date":"March 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this male Horned Lark just two days ago and I'm tickled that I can see new growth of grasses in the frame.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Horned Lark fluffing in early morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-mia-mcpherson-1025.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/horned-lark-male-mia-mcpherson-1025.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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