Large pipit, Hluhluwe, KZN, South Africa (1 Viewer)

Hopeful armchair tick here. Is it possible to distinguish this pipit from the single photo available...

http://morgithology.blogspot.com/2011/10/african-anthus-armchair-tick.html

It is probably an African pipit, but I cannot be sure that I can exclude Long-billed, Plain-backed or even Buffy... Other than this bird I have no experience of any, and I am not really sure that I looked very hard at this one given the other goodies available at the time...

Many thanks,

Geoff

Long-billed Pipit was my initial reaction when seeing the picture.

I am 99% sure it's not an African Pipit, the face pattern is too weak, in particular, the bird totally lacks the black sub-ocular crescent as typically seen on AP, the malar stripe is thin and not that obvious. Furthermore the breast streaking isn't so well defined (it's blacker and bolder on AP). The bill looks quite powerfull as well. I also feel that the back should be browner and more obviously streaked on an AP, but I'd like to see some more images if there are any?

The crown and upperparts seemingly show faint mantle and crown streaking, which doesn't point towards the Plain-backed/Buffy pair, they are normaly more uniform, but I would'nt rule them out on this feature alone. The breast looks too boldly streaked as well. Also, Buffy is typically paler below (lacking the rather rich buffy suffusion of the OP bird) and Plain-backed is supposed to have a yellow (not pink) base to the lower mandible.

All in all, I think Long-billed is the most likely on balance, but I wish the bird was a tade darker (especially on the upperparts) to be more confident. Any notes on the behaviour and/or more images would help greatly though...

Thanks Tib.

Sadly it is the only photo that I didn't delete to make space for shots of other species...

I think that I agree that African Pipit can be excluded.

I do not think that the crown or mantle on this bird were streaked. My memory is that these areas quite plain. The only other memory is that the bird wagged its tail - my companion (a non birder) saw the bird first and called it a wagtail.

Is Buffy the only species that should show a pink base to the lower mandible?

Geoff