As you drive down our country roads this time of year you may see a pair or even a small flock of sparrow sized brown birds fly off the side of the roadway. These birds are are not sparrows but are Horned Larks. Some of these stay all winter-most go a little farther south and come back to Minnesota in Feburary and start to pair up in March. As the breeding season approaches the males

will displace little feather patches on the head-hence the "Horns".

If you see huge flocks of small birds rise up from the road side look for white patches on the wings. These are not the Horned Larks but are Snow Buntings which come from the tundra of Canada to spend only the winters with us.