Larks: Alaudidae

Larks have been a favorite bird of humans because of their long, melodious song (especially that of the skylark), which often evokes thoughts of good fortune and fresh beginnings. The birds' extravagant aerial song-displays no doubt led to the description of a group of larks as an "exaltation," and literature is full of references to the birds as harbingers of spring and bringers of good harvests. Trapping and hunting larks (particularly skylarks) remains a popular pastime in France and the Mediterranean region, where up to ten million are killed annually.