The Horned Lark Is the 2026 ABA Bird of the Year

Every year, the American Birding Association (ABA) chooses a Bird of the Year to highlight, educate readers about, and further conservation efforts to help. Last year’s pick was a birder favorite, especially among those who live near northern lakes: the common loon. The bird for 2026 might not be as familiar to some bird-watchers (and it hasn’t been as extensively featured in pop music), but it’s every bit as important. Here’s what to know about the horned lark.

Horned Lark: ABA’s 2026 Bird of the Year

In a blog post, ABA staff highlighted the horned lark’s wide territory — its range extends to five continents! — as well as its toughness and adaptability as reasons this bird was selected for appreciation in 2026. The post points out that some horned lark populations have come under threat as a result of vanishing habitats.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology lists the horned lark as a “Common Bird in Steep Decline,” and it posits that the loss of agricultural fields to developments combined with human interference could be causing downward trends in the bird’s numbers.

With that said, ABA intends to celebrate the horned lark along with emphasizing the need for conservation. The Bird of the Year program will see the bird featured in articles, on social media, in art, and more.

Learn how to identify a horned grebe.

Where Can You Find a Horned Lark?

To identify a horned lark, look for a songbird with a brown back and wings, a whitish breast, and a black band covering the eyes and along the chest. On males, bright yellow plumage is visible on the head and throat; females’ coloration is diluted. Males feature the “horns” that give the bird its name, with small, black feathers that stick up atop the head to resemble horns.

Despite the worrying population declines, horned larks still call most of the United States home year-round. They’re easiest to find in winter, when their open-ground preferred habitat is more abundant and easier to survey. Birders can look for them in prairies, farm fields, beaches, golf courses, or even in long stretches of grass at airports.

Horned larks are ground nesters, prefer a diet of seeds and insects, and form large flocks with other small songbirds in winter.

To hear its song, birders might need to get up early. Its tinkling, clear ti-ti tune typically rings out before sunrise, and sometimes while the bird is in flight.

Listen to the horned lark’s song, courtesy of Cornell’s Macaulay Library.

Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sources

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Horned Lark: Life History“
• National Audubon Society, “Field Guide: Horned Lark“