From Opus

Photo by rony_roshtov
Location: Bear Sheva, Israel

Anthus cervinus

[edit] Identification

15cm. Breeding Male Throats are various shades of red from pinkish to orangey to cherry-coloured. Bold brown streaks on flanks, strong white mantle stripes, black markings on a white background below. Face, throat, and upper breast are orange-brown. Crown is pale brown. Wings are brown with two white bars. Tail is white-edged.
Female, winter adult, and juvenile are duller.

[edit] Similar Species

Photo by Neil
Hong Kong, China, March 2006

Non breeding birds can be easily confused with Meadow Pipit and Pechora Pipit. The bold streaks, remaining broad and obvious on the flanks, unlike Tree Pipit and extending onto the rump unlike Meadow Pipit, very strong mantle lines, with white "braces"give the species a much more strongly marked appearance. Pechora Pipit which is superficially similar, shows a distinct primary projection, unlike Red-throated Pipit, though check all the tertials are there!

Best identified by its call^[Call],

[edit] Distribution

Northern Europe and Asia.

Vagrant to the British Isles.

[edit] Taxonomy

Photo by jtwood
Lesvos, Greece, May 2008

Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Open country including mountains, marshland and swampy tundra, often near the coast.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

They nest on the ground, in marshes, and 4-6 eggs are laid.

[edit] Diet

Its diet includes insects, but it also eats seeds.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: A loud descending tsiiiiiiiiisssssssss similar in pitch to Redwing

[edit] References

1. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

[edit] External Links