Gould thought it was not surprising that the Calandra Lark had occasionally been found in Britain as it was a very common bird in Portugal, Spain and other parts of Europe. Gould had not seen it himself in the wild, but in Malta, where it was a popular pet, he had observed caged birds probably brought from Sicily.

DISTRIBUTION: Breeds from Iberia and Morocco eastwards through the Mediterranean to Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. Mainly residential in Europe but partially migratory in east of range. Accidental outside normal range; three recent records in Britain authenticated, 1961, 1978 and 1985