The Oriental (or Small) Skylark Alauda gulgula is clearly closely-related to the better-known and more widespread Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis (the well-loved songster of farmland and fields across the Palearctic). As it’s English name suggests gulgula is smaller than than arvensis - which can be difficult to assess on individuals in the field - but it has a noticeably longer, stronger-looking bill and also a shorter tail with buffish-white outer-tail feathers (less striking than the clean white retrices of arvensis).

Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula. Uran, near Mumbai, India. Feb 2008

Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis. Exmoor, southern England. April 2006

Also noticeable from the two images above is the obvious primary extension of arvensis (ie the tips of the primaries extend beyond the tertials) compared with the ‘cloaking’ of the primaries by the tertials seen in gulgula.

Other differences often quoted between the two species is the deeper rufous colour of the auriculars (ear-coverts) of gulgula compared with arvensis and the rich rufous found in the primaries and secondaries of gulgula which can be seen on the closed wing and which is lacking in arvensis. Of these two features I find the former to be harder to use confidently than the latter - both species can show well-coloured auriculars, though the individual in the photos below (all taken near Mumbai, India, Feb 2008) did remind me of a Wood Lark its auriculars were so strongly coloured (an effect somewhat lost in the photos because of the strong light).

Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula. Uran, near Mumbai, India. Feb 2008

All photographs copyright Charlie Moores