The 2026 Bird of the Year art, masterfully created by Kristina Knowski, is entitled “Horned Larks at Reynolds Creek in Winter” and graces the January cover of Birding magazine. See more of Knowski’s work on her webpage or Instagram. Art by © Kristina Knowski.
The 2026 ABA Bird of the Year is the Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris! This thrilling species appears on the cover of the January 2026 issue of Birding magazine, memorably depicted by the 2026 Bird of the Year Artist, Kristina Knowski. The piece is entitled “Horned Larks at Reynolds Creek in Winter.”
The January Birding includes various features about the Horned Lark, including an interview with Knowski in which she describes her relationship to the Horned Lark and her process for producing this work, plus articles by Anuj Ghimire, Natasza Fontaine (former Bird of the Year artist and earbirding expert), a coloring page, word search, fact sheet, and more!
The Horned Lark is a fascinating species that is widespread throughout the ABA Area and beyond. This species is Holarctic, with more than 40 described subspecies around the world, and it is found on five continents! Often solitary and fiercely territorial in the summer, it is quite social and can form large flocks in winter, sometimes fraternizing with other species like the Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur.
Its many subspecies can appear quite different from each other and often reflect local environments. Horned Larks can be found in a variety of habitats, from desert to tundra to beach, but it uniformly prefers open habitats. It is the only true lark (Alaudidae) indigenous to the New World. Adaptable, beautiful, bold, tough: The Horned Lark embodies a variety of admirable qualities.
But some populations are threatened. The open habitats Horned Larks prefer are imperiled in many regions. An important purpose of the Bird of the Year program is to highlight conservation challenges facing birds as well as the people doing important work to help those birds. The Bird of the Year program also strives to connect birders through art, storytelling, and shared joy.
In addition to the January Bird of the Year issue of Birding, look for web articles, podcast episodes, social media posts, and more opportunities for celebrating the Bird of the Year. Support the Bird of the Year program by being an active ABA member (aba.org/join) and provide feedback on the program by emailing Frank Izaguirre.
Get ready for an incredible year of celebrating Horned Larks!
This Horned Lark is poised to leap into 2026 as the Bird of the Year . . . get ready for a full year of celebrating Horned Larks! Image courtesy of BN Singh.
Frank Izaguirre edits Birding magazine, along with Ted Floyd and Michael Retter. Frank also writes articles for the ABA’s website and creates social media posts for the association’s various social media platforms. With Kelly Smith, Frank co-runs the Bird of the Year Program, which entails working with the Bird of the Year artist and writing articles that promote the Bird of the Year Program and conservation efforts related to the Bird of the Year. Frank also regularly appears on the American Birding Podcast as a guest and occasionally as a guest host. Frank enjoys local birding in bad weather and networking with birders around the world. He also loves looking for salamanders and moths. Frank lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his patch is Schenley Park.
