Alauda arvensis
The woodpecker is one of the most emblematic birds of the Romanian open space, famous for its complex and endless trills. In the Danube Delta, it occupies gravel areas, dry pastures and protective embankments. It is the bird that heralds sunrise and spring with its spectacular nuptial flight, soaring vertically to great heights while singing incessantly.
Modest streaky brown plumage on the back and whitish below, providing excellent camouflage on the ground. Has a small crest that can be raised when alarmed. The outer tail feathers are white, visible in flight. The hind claw is unusually long and straight — an adaptation for walking on the ground.
Favours open habitats: plains, steppes, grasslands and farmland. In the Delta it is found on the Letea and Caraorman ridges and in the Razim-Sinoe lagoon zone. In mild winters, large flocks forage on bare ground in Dobrogea.
Diet is mixed: insects and larvae during the chick-rearing season, grass seeds the rest of the year. Famous for its display flight: the male spirals up to 50–100 m, hovers singing for minutes at a time, then drops abruptly to the ground.
The nest is a small hollow in the ground, lined with grass and concealed under a tuft of vegetation. Eggs are laid from April. Chicks develop quickly and leave the nest at 8–10 days, before they can fly, to avoid ground predators such as snakes and small mammals.
Globally Least Concern (LC), but in steep decline across Western Europe due to intensive agriculture. In Romania and the Delta, populations remain healthy thanks to traditional farming landscapes and protected steppe areas.