Tawny Pipit

Photo by Mugil
Secovlje Salina, Slovenia

Anthus campestris

Identification

16.5-18 cm (6½-7 in)
The pale sandy plumage, bold eye-stripe and prominent line of black feathers on the median coverts are also useful features.
Juveniles are more heavily streaked and hence are confusable with Richard's Pipits, but are sleeker and always show distinctive dark lores.

Similar Species

The almost complete lack of streaks on the underparts is one of the best ways to tell a Tawny Pipit, though beware summer plumage Water Pipit. Tawny Pipit looks bigger and leggier than other pipits.

Distribution

Europe and Asia and northwest Africa.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• A. c. campestris:

• Europe to North Africa, Middle East and Asia; winters to Africa and India

• A. c. kastschenkoi:

• Southern Siberia to north-western Mongolia; winters in southern Asia

• A. c. griseus:

• South-western Kazakhstan to north-eastern Iran, Afghanistan, north-western China; winters to south-western and southern Asia

Habitat

Dry open country including semi-deserts.

Behaviour

Their diet consists mostly of insects, including grasshoppers and locusts; supplemented with seeds.

Breeding

It nests on the ground; the clutch consisting of 4-6 eggs.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Anthus campestris (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2015)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Tawny Pipit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Tawny_Pipit

External Links

Search for photos of Tawny Pipit in the gallery