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buff-bellied pipit OR water pipit (1 Viewer)

xiaoming

xiaoming

Well-known member
I saw two pipits in Beijing ,China several days ago.
Some people told me that they were all water pipit. But I see the pictures in Mackinnon's field guide , Buff-bellied have more spot in bosom. So I think it like Buff-bellied .
who's right? And what is the crucial difference between this two birds.
thanks.
 

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xiaoming

I think your friends were right and this is a Water Pipit.

The crucial differences I can see are that this bird has a broken eye-ring. In Buff-bellied (japonicus) this would be complete.

The lores are dark, and would be pale in Buff-bellied Pipit.

The streaking is not quite heavy enough for Buff-bellied, and the legs in the first photo are dark. In Buff-bellied they would be pale.

Darrell
 
Your birds are Water Pipits.

Buff-bellied - http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/s...=2094&Bird_Image_ID=19130&Bird_Family_ID=&p=3

Water pipit - http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/s...esult&Bird_ID=2093&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

Note the pale legs of Asian Buff-bellied Pipit. In your first picture at least, the dark legs of Water Pipit are visible. Also clear are the dark lores (line between the bill and the eye) which is pale on Buff-bellied, and the broken white eye ring which is complete on Buff-bellied. Buff-bellied is also usually much more heavily streaked underneath with blackish streaks.
This is a poorly marked Buff-bellied Pipit http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/s...=1&PHPSESSID=8ae785d19794c84044e808423419325e
 
Did you see the leg colour - Water Pipit have dark legs - however I think in this case your friends might be right - can't help you much on Buff-bellied ID having never seen one however it is my impression that Buff-bellied are more heavily marked on the breast and flanks certainly more so than in the individual in your photo. I will stick my neck out and say water pipit.
 
Thank Darrell ,Frenchy and Howard. Your answers are very helpful.
I know the differencees now: the colour of leg,eye-ring and lore.
 
I agree that these water pipits, but does anybody know how often water pipits can have pale legs? There was a water pipit on my local patch that had pink legs last October, don't worry, it had dark lores and a quite plain back, and had very little flank streaking.
 
Taken from Helm's "Pipits and Wagtails".
"Tarsi and toes pale greyish-pink in juveniles, but in our experience usually soon turning brown-black or dark brown (although in a sample of seven captive young birds, the colour of the legs did not change to 'shining black' until in the spring of the second calendar-year). Throughout the year, however, tarsi in particular rather often dark pinkish-brown, and exceptionally both tarsi and toes pale greyish-pink (resembling Meadow Pipit)."
 
This may be slightly off beam since the question refers to japonicus BB Pipit.
Anyhow does anybody have any ideas on separating winter rubescens BB Pipit and spinoletta Water Pipit?
The reason I ask is that I went to see a Water Pipit last November that initially had been identified as a rubescens. The only real difference I could see (comparing the live WP with pics of rubescens) was that the WP seemed to have more of a white than buff ground colour on the breast and belly as compared with the more buff ground colour of rubescens. Is this it? Are the lores important too?
A previous thread referred mainly to voice www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=101956
but I would be more interested in plumage.
Any suggestions appreciated?
 
Brosnabirder said:
This may be slightly off beam since the question refers to japonicus BB Pipit.
Anyhow does anybody have any ideas on separating winter rubescens BB Pipit and spinoletta Water Pipit?
The reason I ask is that I went to see a Water Pipit last November that initially had been identified as a rubescens. The only real difference I could see (comparing the live WP with pics of rubescens) was that the WP seemed to have more of a white than buff ground colour on the breast and belly as compared with the more buff ground colour of rubescens. Is this it? Are the lores important too?
A previous thread referred mainly to voice www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=101956
but I would be more interested in plumage.
Any suggestions appreciated?
Click to expand...

Hi Brosnabirder,

I've not seen Water Pipits away from their breeding grounds, but according to the literature, I think that presence/absence of a loral stripe is the most important distinction in separating all forms of A. rubescens from A. spinoletta. This plate may be helpful.

Chris
 
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