Eremopterix griseus
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The ashy-crowned sparrow-lark (Eremopterix griseus) is a small sparrow-sized member of the lark family. It is found in the plains in open land with bare ground, grass and scrub across South Asia. The males are well marked with a contrasting black-and-white face pattern, while females are sandy brown, looking similar to a female sparrow. Males are easily detected during the breeding season by the long descending whistle that accompanies their undulating and dive-bombing flight displays.
The ashy-crowned sparrow-lark was originally placed in the genus Alauda. This species is also known by the following alternate names: ash-crowned sparrow-lark, ashy-crowned finch-lark, black-bellied finch-lark, and black-bellied sparrow-lark.
Although some subspecies ceylonensis (from Sri Lanka) and siccata (from Gujarat) have been named, variations are considered to be clinal and they are treated as a monotypic species. Sparrow sized with a finch-like bill and short legs, these birds are usually seen sitting on the ground, and although they will sometimes perch on wires they do not perch in trees or bushes. The male is sandy brown overall with a black... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajkot | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Indore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Nashik | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Vasai-Virar | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kota | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Durg | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Chandigarh | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Pune | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Bhopal | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark sighting in Udawalawe National Park on a given day, based on 69 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 166 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark in Udawalawe National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
3rd of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark sightings, Udawalawe National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Yala National Park (Sri Lanka, about 20%) and Ranthambore National Park (India, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Udawalawe National Park (69 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
