Breeding study of Galerida cristata, Linnaeus, 1758 in Zahak, southeastern of Iran

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) as a native and breeding species in Iran, mostly lives in open habitats with relatively sparse vegetation. The study of Crested Lark reproductive phenology in the town of Zahak, with field surveys began on Feb 2015 coincident with the season of nesting and egg laying and ended in June 2015 with the flight of chickens. In this study using direct counting method active nests were identified and analyzed. Important parameters of each nest including large diameter, small diameter, depth, and the number of eggs, length, width and weight of eggs and chickens were measured in the location. In each case, the peak of the nesting, laying eggs, hatching, nestling, post-nestling and flight age were estimated. Totally 16 samples of target species nests were identified. The bowl-shaped nest is built on the land. The number of egg masses varied between 3 to 5 white eggs with beige spots. The weight of chickens varies from 3 to 6 g. The female bird lies on eggs for 10 to 11 days and feeds the chickens for 11 to 13 days. This time depends on the time that the mother feeds her chickens. According to the observations, the rate of mortality varied in different stages which could be due to the pressure of predators such as snakes, lizards, preying birds, human interference, and destruction by the livestock in the area.