Charecterstic of Crested Lark nest (Galerida cristata) in Harat , Yazd province

The selection of nesting habitat of Galerida cristata was studied in an area of 8000 hectares of the hunting ban area of Ghareh Tabpeh and wildlife shelter of Borooeyeh in Herat region of Yazd Province in the spring of 2014. Habitat variables such as the number of plant species; soil texture; distance of the nests to the nearest water source, farm, and road were measured at the presence points of this species and compared with its absence (randomly).The results showed that the average number of Zygophyllum atriplicoides plant species, Artemisia sp , and soil percentage with a rather soft soil texture were meaningfully higher than that of the control areas (P<0.05) in the presence areas. The most important factors influencing the selection of the nesting points by this bird is the number of Z. atriplicoides plant species and type of the soil texture. With regard to the fact that this species builds its nest on the ground, the Z. atriplicoides and Artemisia sp species prepare the required camouflage for its nest and chicks; these plants also protect the nest against the sun radiation or possible storms in the region. The establishment of nests in an area with soft soil texture causes the collapse of the nest. Therefore, this bird meaningfully selects locations with harder soil texture for its nesting (P<0.05). Some of these nets are observed in Alfa alfa farms. It seems that this location has been chosen for more nesting camouflage; furthermore, the insects present in the farm are a good source of food for the chicks of this bird.