THEY can normally be seen in any open countryside, from lowland farmland to upland moors, but the skylark is becoming more difficult to spot in Scotland.
According to the latest figures from the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), numbers of the species fell by 25% in Scotland between 2010 and 2011, with the weather the likely reason.
The winter of 2010 was particularly harsh, when temperatures were well below average and the ground was frozen. As ground feeders, skylarks are severely affected by such conditions, which may account for the fall in numbers, according to the RSPB Scotland.
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