Ashy-crowned sparrow lark is a medium-sized bird, mainly found in arid open land with bare ground and grass in South Asia. In India (Bengali, মেটেচাঁদি চড়ুইভরত), this is called dabhak churi, which means crouching sparrow. The breeding season is from September to February. The nest usually contains 2–3 eggs, incubated by both sexes.
The hatchling time is around 2 weeks, and both males and females take care of the chick. The finch-like bill ashy-crowned sparrow-lark (Eremopterix griseus) is a member of the lark family. The small, stocky, short legs of birds usually sit on the ground, occasionally perching in trees or bushes and on electric wires.
The male is distinguished by having a black-and-white face pattern, however, the female is sandy brown, just like the house sparrow. The male has a black belly, a head ashy chin, lower lores, and an eye stripe. The females are extremely hard to distinguish, as their legs are much shorter than males, restricted to below 3,300 ft elevation from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan.
Ashy-crowned sparrow larks migrate from heavy rainfall regions. They are normally found in arid areas, semi-cultivation, wastelands, tidal mudflats, and riversides. These larks forge on the ground for insects, spiders, and seeds similar to those of other larks. In the winter, these are seen in small groups, or in pairs, sometimes in large flocks. The population is stable and does not reach the threshold of vulnerability.
This bird is also known as the Ashy-crowned Finch Lark, the Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark, and the Black-bellied Sparrow-Lark. Ashy-crowned sparrow lark song is often given in display flight, which is composed of monotone whistles interspersed with buzzy notes. However, there are typically some chirping calls while sitting in the arid area.
