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| | ;Anthus pratensis | | ;Anthus pratensis |
| − | [[Image:Meadow_Pipit.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Dave Whistle]] | + | [[Image:Meadow_Pipit.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Dave Whistle <br/>Photo taken: Norfolk, England ]] |
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| − | Photo taken: Norfolk, England
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| | ==Identification== | | ==Identification== |
| − | A small, brown, streaky bird, it is the commonest songbird in upland areas and its high, piping call is a familiar sound. In flight it shows white outer tail feathers and in the breeding season it has a fluttering 'parachute' display flight. In winter they are quite gregarious and gather in small flocks, often invisible among the vegetation, suddenly flying up with typical jerky flight. Best told from the rather similar Tree Pipit by call, the lack of contrast between the ground colour of the upper breast and belly, the uniformity of the streaking on the underparts (Tree Pipit has much thinner streaks on the flanks) and if visible, the hind claw.A high 'weesk weesk weesk'; a high accelerating song ending in a trill - given in flight | + | A small, brown, streaky bird, white outer tail feathers. |
| | ==Distribution== | | ==Distribution== |
| − | Very common in Iceland, the Faroes and British Isles, from north and central France east to the northern shores of the Black Sea and north to the whole of Fenno-Scandia and northern Russia. Isolated resident populations in the Apennines and Caucasus and has bred in the former Yugoslavia and Romania.
| + | [[Iceland]], the [[Faroes]] and [[British Isles]], and [[Europe]]. |
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| − | Resident in the Faroes, British Isles and east to Denmark but elsewhere a summer visitor. In winter occurs throughout Western and Southern Europe, North Africa and South-West Asia and many birds undergo more local movements from upland to coastal areas. Main movements in August-October and April-May.
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| − | Vagrants recorded in Svalbard and Bear Island, the Azores and Madeira, and regular winter visitor in small numbers in Kuwait. Subspecies The nominate race is found throughout the region except in western Scotland and Ireland where it is replaced by the more richly-coloured race whistleri, more rufous above and buff below.
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| | ==Taxonomy== | | ==Taxonomy== |
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| | <flashmp3>Anthus pratensis (song).mp3</flashmp3><br /> | | <flashmp3>Anthus pratensis (song).mp3</flashmp3><br /> |
| | ''[[Media:Anthus pratensis (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]'' | | ''[[Media:Anthus pratensis (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]'' |
| − | [[Category:Birds]] | + | [[Category:Birds]][[category:incomplete]] |
Revision as of 16:02, 18 October 2007
- Anthus pratensis
Photo by Dave Whistle
Photo taken: Norfolk, England
Identification
A small, brown, streaky bird, white outer tail feathers.
Distribution
Iceland, the Faroes and British Isles, and Europe.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Open country including fields and farmland, marshes, meadows, heaths and moorland. Also on coastal grasslands, sand-dunes open beaches, especially in winter. Likes open country with plenty of vegetation - upland moorland, heathland, fens, grassland, flood meadows and coastal marshes.
Behaviour
External Links
A few photos you see in additional images are of Tree Pipits. Although not mentioned above, the photos highlight how useful bill size can be in identification (with Tree having a more hefty bill)
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Anthus pratensis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
