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Australian Pipit (1 Viewer)

arthurgrosset

Well-known member
I took this photo near Bool Lagoon, South Australia in February 2006. I presume that it is an Australian Pipit Anthus australis (aka A. novaeseelandiae australis) but it seems to have heavier and more extensive streaking on the breast and flanks than I would expect from the illustrations and descriptions that I have.
Would anyone like to comment?
 

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"The subspecies bilbali is large, with proportionately short tarsus, dull tawny brown above, remiges edged brownish, with russet cast, inner rectrices edged tawny above, breast and belly deep cream, heavy breast streaking sometimes extending to upper belly and flanks" Occurs SW Western Australia and SC South Australia.

The subspecies australia has moderate to sparse streaking and occurs in WC, C, E, & SE Australia
Reference Handbooks of the world 10.

No other pipit normally occurs in Australia.
 
arthurgrosset said:
I took this photo near Bool Lagoon, South Australia in February 2006. I presume that it is an Australian Pipit Anthus australis (aka A. novaeseelandiae australis) but it seems to have heavier and more extensive streaking on the breast and flanks than I would expect from the illustrations and descriptions that I have.
Would anyone like to comment?
Don't know if this helps but THIS bird looks somewhat similar. Things seem a little confused in the Australian pipit world. I've seen Richard's Pipit as Anthus richardi and Anthus novaeseelandiae, I've seen Australasian or Australian Pipit as Anthus novaeseelandiae , Anthus novaeseelandiae australis and Anthus australis. I've seen species lists that include Richard's Pipit as Anthus novaeseelandiae and don't mention Australian Pipit or Anthus richardi. Perhaps any BF members from there could clarify the current situation?
 
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Thanks Mike, but any way, it's not a Richards.(among other features, it has a distinct dark eyestripe)
Taxonomie lately ,does nt name Richards, novaeseelandiae but richardi so I d rather leave the confusion to the confused.
 
gerdwichers8 said:
Thanks Mike, but any way, it's not a Richards.(among other features, it has a distinct dark eyestripe)
Taxonomie lately ,does nt name Richards, novaeseelandiae but richardi so I d rather leave the confusion to the confused.
Yeah, the pic I directed Arthur to is headed Richard's but underneath says Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae!? :h?:
 
For practical purposes, Richard's Pippit = Australian Pippit in this region. Opinions differ as to the status of the Australasian pippits: are they the local representatives of that widespread species Richard's Pippit? Or is specific rank deserved? The current official position upholds a split, meaning that there are no Richard's Pippits in Australia, but plenty of Australasian Pippits.

Me, I've been calling them "Richard's Pippit" since well before the split, and habit is a powerful thing.

So is this bird Richard's Pippit/Australian Pippit? Clearly, yes. Can't really be anything else with those long, pinkish legs.

But with pippits and the several other very similar-looking birds of the grasslands and open country (skylarks, songlarks, bushlarks, grassbirds), plumage really isn't a very helpful guide in the field. Here is a simple, practical way to narrow down your choices:

Wagging its tail a lot? Pippit for sure.
Rich rufous patch on the rump, not always visible but obvious when you see it: Rufous Songlark.
Obvious crest: European Skylark.
Short, thick bill like a finch: Singing Bushlark. (But beware female House Sparrow.)
Little Grassbird and Clamourous Reed-warbler both unlikely in dry habitats, common in reeds and rushes, both best recognised by song, which is in each case unmistakable.

Problems with the above: Brown Songlark and Tawny Grassbird. If there is an easy way to nail those two, I don't know it.
 
Thanks everyone for that input.
The taxonomy seems to be debatable. My current "bible" for Australian passerines is Schodde & Mason who opt for the split of Australian Pipit from both Richard's Pipit and New Zealand Pipit but say "Limits unsettled and controversial"
Part of their description of the nominate species (A. a. bilbali being distributed west of Kangaroo Is. and the Yorke Peninsula) is "breast and belly cream, with moderate to sparse diffuse oblong dusky shaft-streaking on breast rarely extending on to flanks and upper belly..." This was what made be wonder if my bird's plumage was age or season-related but as Tannin says "plumage really isn't a very helpful guide in the field."
 
some authorities lump everything together as Richard's pipit (A.novaeseelandiae)

some split Richard's (A.richardi) from Australasian (A.novaeseelandiae) (with a few other split species as well)

some further split Australasian into New Zealand (A.novaeseelandiae) and Australian (A.australis)
 
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