Pipit
Encyclopedia
The pipits are a cosmopolitan
genus, Anthus, of small passerine
bird
s with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtail
s and longclaw
s, the pipits make up the family
Motacillidae
. The genus is widespread, occurring across most of the world, except the driest deserts, rainforests and the mainland of Antarctica.
They are slender, often drab, ground-feeding insectivores of open country. Like their relatives in the family, the pipits are monogamous
and territorial
. Pipits are ground nesters, laying up to six speckled eggs.
, making it the largest genus in terms of numbers in its family. The exact species limits of the genus are still a matter of some debate, with some checklists recognising only 34 species. For example, the Australasian Pipit
, Anthus novaeseelandiae, which is currently treated as nine subspecies found in New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea, once also included the Richard's Pipit
and Paddyfield Pipit
of Asia, and the African Pipit
of Africa. In addition it has been suggested that the Australian and New Zealand populations be split, or even that New Zealand's subspecies found on its outlying Subantarctic Islands
be split from the mainland species. In part the taxonomic difficulties arise due to the extreme similarities in appearance across the genus. Two species have been identified comparatively recently in South Africa
, the Long-tailed Pipit
in 1996 and the Kimberley Pipit
in 2002.
Within the family there is an additional species, the Golden Pipit
, Tmetothylacus tennelus, which belongs to a distinct, monotypic
genus. This species is apparently intermediate in appearance between the pipits and the longclaws, and is probably more closely related to the longclaws. One species of pipit, the Yellow-breasted Pipit
, is sometimes split out into a genus Hemimacronyx
, which is considered to be intermediate between the longclaws and pipits. The split was originally proposed based on morphological features but it has also found support based upon genetic analysis.
Molecular studies of the pipits suggest that the genus arose in East Asia around seven million years ago (mya), during the Miocene
, and that the genus had spread to the Americas, Africa and Europe between 5 and 6 mya. Speciation rates were high during the Pliocene
(5.3 to 2.6 mya ) but have slowed down so during the Pleistocene
. Repeated dispersal between continents seems to have been important in generating new species in Eurasia, Africa and North America, rather than species arising by radiation once a continent was reached. In South America, however, vicariance
appears to have played an important role in speciation.
, is only 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in). In weight they range from 15 to 38 g (0.529109431576679 to 1.3 oz). Like all members of the family they are slender, short necked birds with long tails, long slender legs with elongated (in some cases very elongated) hind claws. The length of the hindclaw varies with the habits of the species, more arboreal species have shorter, more curved hindclaws than the more terrestrial species. The bills
are generally long, slender and pointed. In both size and plumage
there is little differences between the sexes
. One unusual feature of the pipits, which they share in common with the rest of their family but not the rest of the passerines, is that the tertials
on the wing entirely cover the primary flight feathers. This is thought to be a feature to protect the primaries, which are important to flight
, from the sun, which causes the feathers to fade and become brittle if not protected.
The plumage of the pipits is similar to that of the lark
s, being generally drab and brown, buff or faded white. The undersides are usually darker than the top, and there is a variable amount of barring and streaking on the back, wings and breast. The drab mottled brown colours provide some camouflage
against the soil and stones they are generally found on. A few species have slightly more colourful breeding plumages, for example the Rosy Pipit
has greenish edges on the wing feathers. The Yellow-breasted Pipit, if it is retained in this genus, is quite atypical in having bright yellow plumage on the throat breast and belly.
, occurring across most of the world's land surface. They are the only genus in their family to occur widely in the Americas (two species of wagtail
marginally occur in Alaska
as well). Three species of Pipit occur in North America (one, like the wagtails, only occurs here), and seven species occur in South America. The remaining species are spread throughout Eurasia, Africa and Australia, along with two species restricted to islands in the Atlantic. Some six species occur on more than one continent.
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As might be expected from a genus with such a wide distribution, the pipits are found in an equally wide range of habitats. They occur in most types of open habitat, although they are absent from the very driest deserts. They are mostly associated with some kind of grassland, from sea-level to alpine grasslands. The Rock Pipit
and South Georgia Pipit
can be found in the rocks and cliffs of the seashore, whereas a number of species are restricted (for part of the year in some cases) to alpine areas. The family also ranges from the northern tundra and the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and the South Georgia group to the tropics. They are absent from tropical rainforests, but a few species are associated with open woodland, for example the Wood Pipit of southern Africa which is found in open woodland savanna and miombo
woodland.
The pipits range from entirely sedentary to entirely migratory
. Insular species like the Berthelot's Pipit
, which is endemic to Madeira
and the Canary Islands
, are entirely sedentary, as are some species in warmer areas like the Nilgiri Pipit
. Other species are partly nomadic during the non-breeding season, like the Long-legged Pipit
of central Africa or the Ochre-breasted Pipit
of South America. These seasonal movements are in response to conditions in the environment, and are poorly understood and unpredictable. Longer, more regular migrations between discrete breeding and wintering grounds are undertaken by several species. The Tree Pipit
which breeds in Europe and northern Asia, winters in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, a pattern of long-distance migration shared with other northerly species. Species may also be partly migratory, with northern populations being migratory but more temperate populations being resident (like the Meadow Pipit
in Europe). The distances involved do not have to be that long; the Mountain Pipit
of southern Africa breeds in the Drakensberg
of South Africa
and migrates north only as far as Angola and Zambia. Migration is usually undertaken in groups, and may happen both during the day and at night. There is some variation in this, for example the Sprague's Pipit
of North America apparently only migrates by day.
The pipits are active terrestrial birds that usually spend most of their time on the ground. They will fly
in order to display during breeding, while migrating and dispersing, and also when flushed by danger. A few species make use of trees, perching in them and flying to them when disturbed. Low shrubs, rocks and termite nests may also be used as vantage points. Like their relatives the wagtails, pipits engage in tail-wagging. The way in which a pipit does this can provide clues to its identity in otherwise similar looking species. Upland Pipits, for example, flick their tails quite quickly, as opposed to Olive-backed Pipits which wag their tails more gently.In general pipits move their tails quite slowly. The Buff-bellied Pipit wags its tail both up and down and from side to side. The exact function of tail-wagging is unclear; in the related wagtails it is thought to be a signal to predators of vigilance.
having caught them. A few species also are reported as consuming berries and seeds.
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
genus, Anthus, of small passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s and longclaw
Longclaw
The longclaws are a genus of small African passerine birds with long tails, which they wag frequently. They are in the same family as the pipits and wagtails.Longclaws are slender, often colorful, ground-feeding insectivores of open country...
s, the pipits make up the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Motacillidae
Motacillidae
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...
. The genus is widespread, occurring across most of the world, except the driest deserts, rainforests and the mainland of Antarctica.
They are slender, often drab, ground-feeding insectivores of open country. Like their relatives in the family, the pipits are monogamous
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
and territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
. Pipits are ground nesters, laying up to six speckled eggs.
Taxonomy and evolution
The genus has more than forty speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, making it the largest genus in terms of numbers in its family. The exact species limits of the genus are still a matter of some debate, with some checklists recognising only 34 species. For example, the Australasian Pipit
Australasian Pipit
The Australasian Pipit is a fairly small passerine bird of open country in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. It belongs to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae....
, Anthus novaeseelandiae, which is currently treated as nine subspecies found in New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea, once also included the Richard's Pipit
Richard's Pipit
The Richard's Pipit is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in southern Asia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe...
and Paddyfield Pipit
Paddyfield Pipit
Paddyfield Pipit is a small passerine bird in the pipits and wagtail family. It is a resident breeder in open scrub, grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines. Although among the few breeding pipits in the Asian region, identification becomes difficult in winter when...
of Asia, and the African Pipit
African Pipit
The African Pipit is a fairly small passerine bird belonging to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It is also known as the Grassveld Pipit or Grassland Pipit...
of Africa. In addition it has been suggested that the Australian and New Zealand populations be split, or even that New Zealand's subspecies found on its outlying Subantarctic Islands
New Zealand Outlying Islands
The New Zealand outlying islands comprise nine island groups, located in the subtropics and subantarctic, which are part of New Zealand but lie outside of the New Zealand continental shelf. Although considered as integral parts of New Zealand, seven of the nine island groups are not part of any...
be split from the mainland species. In part the taxonomic difficulties arise due to the extreme similarities in appearance across the genus. Two species have been identified comparatively recently in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Long-tailed Pipit
Long-tailed Pipit
The Long-tailed Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
in 1996 and the Kimberley Pipit
Kimberley Pipit
The Kimberly Pipit, Anthus pseudosimilis, is a small bird found in savanna grasslands in South Africa and Namibia.This recently described pipit is 18 cms long and weighs around 32 gms. Its plumage is mainly brown....
in 2002.
Within the family there is an additional species, the Golden Pipit
Golden Pipit
The Golden Pipit is a distinctive pipit of dry country grassland, savanna and shrubland in eastern Africa. It is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and has occurred as a vagrant to Oman, South Africa and Zimbabwe.The adult male, unlike most pipits, is very easy to...
, Tmetothylacus tennelus, which belongs to a distinct, monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus. This species is apparently intermediate in appearance between the pipits and the longclaws, and is probably more closely related to the longclaws. One species of pipit, the Yellow-breasted Pipit
Yellow-breasted Pipit
The Yellow-breasted Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, and pastureland....
, is sometimes split out into a genus Hemimacronyx
Hemimacronyx
Hemimacronyx is a proposed genus of birds in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It contains two species that are usually treated as bellowing to two larger genera, Macronyx and Anthus...
, which is considered to be intermediate between the longclaws and pipits. The split was originally proposed based on morphological features but it has also found support based upon genetic analysis.
Molecular studies of the pipits suggest that the genus arose in East Asia around seven million years ago (mya), during the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, and that the genus had spread to the Americas, Africa and Europe between 5 and 6 mya. Speciation rates were high during the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
(5.3 to 2.6 mya ) but have slowed down so during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. Repeated dispersal between continents seems to have been important in generating new species in Eurasia, Africa and North America, rather than species arising by radiation once a continent was reached. In South America, however, vicariance
Allopatric speciation
Allopatric speciation or geographic speciation is speciation that occurs when biological populations of the same species become isolated due to geographical changes such as mountain building or social changes such as emigration...
appears to have played an important role in speciation.
Morphology
The pipits are generally highly conservative in appearance. They are generally between 16 to 21 cm (6.3 to 8.3 in) in length, although the smallest species, the Short-tailed PipitShort-tailed Pipit
The Short-tailed Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical...
, is only 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in). In weight they range from 15 to 38 g (0.529109431576679 to 1.3 oz). Like all members of the family they are slender, short necked birds with long tails, long slender legs with elongated (in some cases very elongated) hind claws. The length of the hindclaw varies with the habits of the species, more arboreal species have shorter, more curved hindclaws than the more terrestrial species. The bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
are generally long, slender and pointed. In both size and plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
there is little differences between the sexes
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
. One unusual feature of the pipits, which they share in common with the rest of their family but not the rest of the passerines, is that the tertials
Flight feather
Flight feathers are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges while those on the tail are called rectrices . Their primary function is to aid in the generation of both thrust and lift, thereby...
on the wing entirely cover the primary flight feathers. This is thought to be a feature to protect the primaries, which are important to flight
Bird flight
Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the world's bird species. Flight assists birds while feeding, breeding and avoiding predators....
, from the sun, which causes the feathers to fade and become brittle if not protected.
The plumage of the pipits is similar to that of the lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
s, being generally drab and brown, buff or faded white. The undersides are usually darker than the top, and there is a variable amount of barring and streaking on the back, wings and breast. The drab mottled brown colours provide some camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
against the soil and stones they are generally found on. A few species have slightly more colourful breeding plumages, for example the Rosy Pipit
Rosy Pipit
The Rosy Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, South Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam.-References:...
has greenish edges on the wing feathers. The Yellow-breasted Pipit, if it is retained in this genus, is quite atypical in having bright yellow plumage on the throat breast and belly.
Distribution and habitat
The pipits have a cosmopolitan distributionCosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
, occurring across most of the world's land surface. They are the only genus in their family to occur widely in the Americas (two species of wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
marginally occur in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
as well). Three species of Pipit occur in North America (one, like the wagtails, only occurs here), and seven species occur in South America. The remaining species are spread throughout Eurasia, Africa and Australia, along with two species restricted to islands in the Atlantic. Some six species occur on more than one continent.
Rock Pipit
The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird species which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. It is mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, in the west of its range, but the Scandinavian and Russian populations migrate south in winter;...
and South Georgia Pipit
South Georgia Pipit
The South Georgia Pipit is a sparrow sized bird, only found on the South Georgia archipelago. It is the Antarctic's only song bird, and South Georgia's only passerine, and one of the few non-seabirds of the region....
can be found in the rocks and cliffs of the seashore, whereas a number of species are restricted (for part of the year in some cases) to alpine areas. The family also ranges from the northern tundra and the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and the South Georgia group to the tropics. They are absent from tropical rainforests, but a few species are associated with open woodland, for example the Wood Pipit of southern Africa which is found in open woodland savanna and miombo
Miombo
Miombo is the Swahili word for Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of species. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome...
woodland.
The pipits range from entirely sedentary to entirely migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
. Insular species like the Berthelot's Pipit
Berthelot's Pipit
The Berthelot’s Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is a common resident in both archipelagos....
, which is endemic to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, are entirely sedentary, as are some species in warmer areas like the Nilgiri Pipit
Nilgiri Pipit
The Nilgiri Pipit, Anthus nilghiriensis is a long near threatened bird species endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.It is closely associated with short montane grasslands interspersed with marshy grounds and small streams mostly in hill slopes above of Tamil Nadu and Kerala...
. Other species are partly nomadic during the non-breeding season, like the Long-legged Pipit
Long-legged Pipit
The Long-legged Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon....
of central Africa or the Ochre-breasted Pipit
Ochre-breasted Pipit
The Ochre-breasted Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay....
of South America. These seasonal movements are in response to conditions in the environment, and are poorly understood and unpredictable. Longer, more regular migrations between discrete breeding and wintering grounds are undertaken by several species. The Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia....
which breeds in Europe and northern Asia, winters in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, a pattern of long-distance migration shared with other northerly species. Species may also be partly migratory, with northern populations being migratory but more temperate populations being resident (like the Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit
The Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and also northwestern Asia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated...
in Europe). The distances involved do not have to be that long; the Mountain Pipit
Mountain Pipit
The Mountain Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, possibly Botswana, possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly Namibia, and possibly Zambia....
of southern Africa breeds in the Drakensberg
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and migrates north only as far as Angola and Zambia. Migration is usually undertaken in groups, and may happen both during the day and at night. There is some variation in this, for example the Sprague's Pipit
Sprague's Pipit
Sprague's Pipit is a small passerine bird that breeds in the short and mixed-grass prairies of North America and overwinters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Easiest to identify by the distinctive descending call that is delivered in the breeding season from a considerable...
of North America apparently only migrates by day.
Behaviour
Bird flight
Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the world's bird species. Flight assists birds while feeding, breeding and avoiding predators....
in order to display during breeding, while migrating and dispersing, and also when flushed by danger. A few species make use of trees, perching in them and flying to them when disturbed. Low shrubs, rocks and termite nests may also be used as vantage points. Like their relatives the wagtails, pipits engage in tail-wagging. The way in which a pipit does this can provide clues to its identity in otherwise similar looking species. Upland Pipits, for example, flick their tails quite quickly, as opposed to Olive-backed Pipits which wag their tails more gently.In general pipits move their tails quite slowly. The Buff-bellied Pipit wags its tail both up and down and from side to side. The exact function of tail-wagging is unclear; in the related wagtails it is thought to be a signal to predators of vigilance.
Diet and feeding
The diet of the pipits is dominated by small invertebrates. Insects are the most important prey items; among the types taken include flies and their larvae, beetles, grasshoppers and crickets, true bugs, mantids, ants, aphids and particularly the larvae and adults of moths and butterflies. Outside of insects other invertebrates taken include spiders and, rarely, worms and scorpions. They are generally catholic in their diet, the composition of their diet apparently reflecting the abundance of their prey in the location (and varying with the season). The diet consumed by adults may vary to that of the young birds; for example adult Tree Pipits take large numbers of beetles but do not feed many to their chicks. Species feeding on the seashore are reported to feed on marine crustaceans and molluscs. A few species have been reported to feed on small fish, beating them in the manner of a kingfisherKingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
having caught them. A few species also are reported as consuming berries and seeds.
Species in taxonomic order
- Richard's PipitRichard's PipitThe Richard's Pipit is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in southern Asia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe...
Anthus richardi - Paddyfield PipitPaddyfield PipitPaddyfield Pipit is a small passerine bird in the pipits and wagtail family. It is a resident breeder in open scrub, grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines. Although among the few breeding pipits in the Asian region, identification becomes difficult in winter when...
Anthus rufulus - African PipitAfrican PipitThe African Pipit is a fairly small passerine bird belonging to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It is also known as the Grassveld Pipit or Grassland Pipit...
Anthus cinnamomeus - Australasian PipitAustralasian PipitThe Australasian Pipit is a fairly small passerine bird of open country in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. It belongs to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae....
Anthus novaeseelandiae - Plain PipitPlain PipitThe Plain Pipit is a medium-sized passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.It is found in open habitats, especially short grassland and cultivation. It builds its cup-shaped nest on the ground and usually lays three eggs...
Anthus leucophrys - Sandy Pipit Anthus vaalensis
- Long-clawed Pipit Anthus pallidiventris
- Malindi PipitMalindi PipitThe Malindi Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Kenya and Somalia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife...
Anthus melindae - Kimberley PipitKimberley PipitThe Kimberly Pipit, Anthus pseudosimilis, is a small bird found in savanna grasslands in South Africa and Namibia.This recently described pipit is 18 cms long and weighs around 32 gms. Its plumage is mainly brown....
Anthus pseudosimilis - Tawny PipitTawny PipitThe Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris, is a medium-large passerine bird which breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia, and northwest Africa. It is a migrant moving in winter to tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent....
Anthus campestris - Blyth's PipitBlyth's PipitThe Blyth's Pipit, Anthus godlewskii, is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in Mongolia and neighbouring areas. It is a long distance migrant moving to open lowlands in southern Asia. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe....
Anthus godlewskii - Berthelot's PipitBerthelot's PipitThe Berthelot’s Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is a common resident in both archipelagos....
Anthus berthelotii - Long-billed PipitLong-billed PipitThe Long-billed Pipit or Brown Rock Pipit is a passerine bird which has a wide distribution. A number of subspecies have been created for the populations in Africa, through the Arabian peninsula and South Asia. The systematics of this complex is yet to be clarified...
Anthus similis - Jackson's PipitJackson's PipitJackson's Pipit is a rare and little-known African bird of the pipit and wagtail family.It occurs in montane grasslands, migrating to lower altitudes, in the east-central part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in southern Uganda. Van Perlo shows an isolated population around the...
Anthus latistratus - Short-tailed PipitShort-tailed PipitThe Short-tailed Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical...
Anthus brachyurus - Little Pipit Anthus caffer
- Tree PipitTree PipitTree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia....
Anthus trivialis - Nilgiri PipitNilgiri PipitThe Nilgiri Pipit, Anthus nilghiriensis is a long near threatened bird species endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.It is closely associated with short montane grasslands interspersed with marshy grounds and small streams mostly in hill slopes above of Tamil Nadu and Kerala...
Anthus nilghiriensis - Olive-backed PipitOlive-backed PipitThe Olive-backed Pipit, Anthus hodgsoni, is a small passerine bird of the pipit genus, which breeds across South, north Central and East Asia, as well as in the northeast of European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia...
Anthus hodgsoni - Pechora PipitPechora PipitThe Pechora Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the tundra of northern Asia, eastwards of Russia. It is a long-distance migrant, moving in winter to Indonesia. Rarely in September and October, the Pechora Pipit may be observed in western Europe.-Appearance:A. gustavi is a small pipit,...
Anthus gustavi - Meadow PipitMeadow PipitThe Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and also northwestern Asia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated...
Anthus pratensis - Red-throated PipitRed-throated PipitThe Red-throated Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia, with a foothold in northern Alaska. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa, south and east Asia and west coast USA...
Anthus cervinus - Rosy PipitRosy PipitThe Rosy Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, South Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam.-References:...
Anthus roseatus - Water PipitWater PipitThe Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta, is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of southern Europe and southern temperate Asia across to China. It is a short-distance migrant moving to wet open lowlands such as marshes and flooded fields in winter...
Anthus spinoletta - Rock PipitRock PipitThe Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird species which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. It is mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, in the west of its range, but the Scandinavian and Russian populations migrate south in winter;...
Anthus petrosus - Buff-bellied PipitBuff-bellied PipitThe Buff-bellied Pipit , or American Pipit as it is known in North America, is a small songbird found on both sides of the northern Pacific. It was first described by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 Ornithologia Britannica...
Anthus rubescens - Upland PipitUpland PipitThe Upland Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Afghanistan, China, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
Anthus sylvanus - Sprague's PipitSprague's PipitSprague's Pipit is a small passerine bird that breeds in the short and mixed-grass prairies of North America and overwinters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Easiest to identify by the distinctive descending call that is delivered in the breeding season from a considerable...
Anthus spragueii - Short-billed PipitShort-billed PipitThe Short-billed Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
Anthus furcatus - Hellmayr's PipitHellmayr's PipitThe Hellmayr's Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay....
Anthus hellmayri - Yellowish PipitYellowish PipitThe Yellowish Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela....
Anthus lutescens - Chaco PipitChaco PipitThe Pampas Pipit , also known as the Chaco Pipit or Campo Pipit, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family. It is found in Argentina and Paraguay. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.-References:...
Anthus chacoensis - Correndera PipitCorrendera PipitThe Correndera Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay....
Anthus correndera - Ochre-breasted PipitOchre-breasted PipitThe Ochre-breasted Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay....
Anthus nattereri - Paramo PipitParamo PipitThe Paramo Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and pastureland....
Anthus bogotensis - South Georgia PipitSouth Georgia PipitThe South Georgia Pipit is a sparrow sized bird, only found on the South Georgia archipelago. It is the Antarctic's only song bird, and South Georgia's only passerine, and one of the few non-seabirds of the region....
Anthus antarcticus - New Guinea Pipit Anthus gutturalis
- Sokoke PipitSokoke PipitThe Sokoke Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
Anthus sokokensis - Yellow-tufted PipitYellow-tufted PipitThe Yellow-tufted Pipit , also known as the African Rock Pipit, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland....
Anthus crenatus - Striped PipitStriped PipitThe Striped Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitat is dry savanna.-References:* BirdLife...
Anthus lineiventris - Yellow-breasted PipitYellow-breasted PipitThe Yellow-breasted Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, and pastureland....
Anthus chloris - Long-tailed PipitLong-tailed PipitThe Long-tailed Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
Anthus longicaudatus - Mountain PipitMountain PipitThe Mountain Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, possibly Botswana, possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly Namibia, and possibly Zambia....
Anthus hoeschi
External links
- Pipit videos on the Internet Bird Collection