Mystery Icelandic pipit (1 Viewer)

This bird was filmed in southern Iceland last week and has not yet been positively identified. Obviously it is a pipit but which one? It should be noted that Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is an abundant summer visitor to Iceland. All other pipits are vagrants. Is it a funny looking Meadow Pipit or something more intriguing?

http://www.galdur.is/fuglar/tmp1.php?pid=295

Hi Edward,
Firstly,let me point out that I'm not perhaps the best person to give advice with pipits,as I've only ever seen three species here(Meadow,Rock and Richard's)and have very limited experience of any other species abroad(have seen Tawny well in Bulgaria,but only had Red-throated as fly-overs and most of the Trees that I saw there were fly-overs also)
Nevertheless,I'll give my opinions,for what they're worth...
Firstly,let's start with what it's NOT!From these shots,the larger pipits(Richard's/Tawny/Blyth's)can easily be ruled out,as can Rock/Scandinavian Rock/Water/Buff-bellied,so we're left with one of the smaller pipits:Meadow,Tree,Red-throated,Olive-backed or Pechora.
Of these,we can eliminate Olive-backed and Tree on account of the thickness of the flank streaking(very fine on these two),also neither should look so greyish(esp.OBP),and neither have a long hind claw as this bird does(best seen in bottom right photo)
Pechora is really quite distinctive,and doesn't appear to vary too much,so can be ruled out in this case,leaving the two candidates to spring to mind when I first saw the photo:Meadow and Red-throated.
In my opinion,this bird is most likely just an odd Meadow Pipit,despite superficially resembling RT.A "classic" Red-throat should have distinct whitish "braces" on the mantle:this bird seems no better marked above than most Meadows.Also,one would expect a spring Red-throat to have far more red on the face by now(not sure about 1st-s,but one would presume that they obtain red during the winter).Greyish Meadows occur quite regularly,especially in Iceland and Scandinavia,and such birds can also show warm tones to the throat.
If the bird is still around,or if more photos are forthcoming,it would be advised to check out the rump pattern:more or less unmarked in Meadow,but distinctly streaked in Red-throat.
Also,the flight calls of the two species are really quite distinct(Meadow has the well-known "sip",often given as a series "sip-ip-ip",Red-throat has a drawn out "pseee",a bit like letting air out of a tyre)
I am quite willing to admit that I may be wrong!
ATB,Harry H

Hi Edward, Harry,

I'm inclined to agree with Harry, though I wouldn't be quite so quick to rule out Buff-bellied: (a) the legs (what little can be seen of them!) appear quite dark; (b) Buff-bellied is (from dimensions in books, I've never seen one myself!) smaller than Rock, overlapping with Meadow in size; and (c) the fairly prominent eye-ring would appear to fit. Equally however, Buff-bellied isn't shown as having the malar stripe extending right up the throat, which this bird does, so perhaps not Buff-bellied.

A description (or recording!) of the call would certainly help, as might some pics from other angles (but I guess its too late for that now!)

Harry,
Surprised you've never had Tree Pipit in Ireland - I thought they were fairly regular in small numbers on passage and the odd pair breeding, like Redstarts or Pied Flys

Michael

Hi Michael,
I admit that I may be a bit hasty in ruling out Buff-bellied,and acknowledge that any photos that I've seen have been of autumn birds,but seem to remember from Sibley that they would be warmer underneath in breeding plumage,not just on the throat?
With regard to Tree Pipit,I'm surprised that I haven't seen one in Ireland myself!Those who know me are fully aware that I heard one flying over Great Saltee in 2000 but never saw the bird!They are fairly regular okay,but they don't tend to stay put as long as Redstart or Pied Fly,making it harder to stumble across one.The best comparison would be with Yellow Wagtail,but I've come across three of those.Next weekend I'll be on Saltee again,fingers crossed that THIS will be the year...
Harry

Hi Harry,

Good point, though its quite possible the plumage hasn't worn down to the full summer appearance yet, after all its photo'd in late April, and at this time e.g. Water Pipits and littoralis Rock Pipits are often still not yet fully summer plumage. Maybe with some more wear this one'll turn buffer on the breast & belly too.

On a different tack - I'm not at all sure that BBP ever perch in shrubs** like this one is. Rock certainly don't, and I don't think Water do either. So that could be a strong pointer against BBP.
** Looks like Betula nana (Dwarf Birch)

Good luck for a Tripit on your trip!
BTW, plenty of them in Northumberland

Michael

A PS for Americans . .

Buff-bellied Pipit is the UK name for American Pipit. Same species.

Michael

Edward, Harry, Michael,

You're right in that there are plenty of Pipits we can rule out straight away - all the 'big' pipits, plus Olive-backed for instance. Also Red-throated - the bird is too grey. Water Pipit is easily eliminated because they don't have streaking on the breast. I think the choice comes down to Meadow Pipit (though it would be the oddest I've ever seen) Buff-bellied, or Rock/Scandinavian Rock.

I have to admit I can't see the long claw Harry - at least I can't differentiate it from the spikes on the bush.

For what it is worth my money would be on Scandinavian Rock for the following reasons

Grey cast to the head and back

White Supercillium, eye ring and prominent malar stripe are all good for this species

sorry I clicked send before I'd finished

Peach cast to the throat and belly good for this species - I guess it's in moult and will assume the same colour on the breast.

Darkish legs

I know what you mean Michael about it perched in a tree, but birds off course will do strange things - (Baillons Crake in Sunderland!!!)

I have no experience of Buff-bellied Pipit, but I can't see anything that doesn't fit with Scandinavian Rock

look at this thread for some photos taken on the Isle of Man and some taken by me in Cornwall in March

http://www.birdforum.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3744&highlight=scandinavian+rock+pipit

Darrell

Hi Darrell,

Have to admit I hadn't looked closely the claw before now, but I think Harry's right, I think it is the hind claw - more smoothly tapered and curved than the 'spikes' (last years' old seed-catkin stalks), which are all somewhat rough, not smoothly tapered.

Same query applies though - have you ever seen littoralis Rock Pipit perched in a shrub? I've no recollection of ever seeing one do so. But you're probably right, all the same!

Michael

It looks like a Meadow Pipit to me. I have noticed, this Spring, just how much the amount of "warmth" on the underparts of Mipit can vary from just a hint of buff to a vivid peach (as in this bird, but often more extensive). The length of the hindclaw would appear to be consistant with this species and it just doesn't look 'bulky' enough for a 'rock-type' pipit and the breast-streaking isn't right.
I've attached 4 photos (albeit, very poor photos) which show what turned out to be a 'warm' Meadow Pipit on the Isle of Man this March.
Isle of Man Birding very

Dear Everybody

Many thanks for your detailed replies to this mystery pipit. It seems as though we have several opinions and no firm conclusion has been reached....yet. As some of you have said a view of the back of this bird would be most helpful but unfortunately no-one saw this bird from behind. So opinions received so far range from Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit (not on this forum but somewhere else) Scandinavian Rock Pipit and Buff-bellied Pipit. I'll let you know what becomes of it! Thanks again.

In my oppinion you cannot rule out water pipit from these photos, yes a full summer plumage bird is un-streaked, but winter birds are nopt, and as the pinkish hue does not fully extend down the breast or flanks it is not a full summer bird. I would say that the head pattern looks very water pipit like, and I think the back appears to be brown rather than grey (which would eleminate scand r.p), this may be deceptive though, and although there is a dark malar patch it is not as heavey as I would expect from a R.P.

I guess it is just going to be one of those pipits that gets away, happens to us all at some point.

Hi Darrell,

Must have missed your second posting, it'd have appeared while I was composing my post following.

Point took about the Baillon's - not that it turned up in somewhere like Sunderland ), but that it had cover available, but chose not to use it.

Have to confess, I wasn't aware pipits had a partial spring moult, I thought they get their summer plumage pattern by feather wear like most other passerines.

Michael

Well I have seen red-throated pipit in stunning black white and red plumage, dull brown and mid way, so I just assumed they had partial moults, I may be wrong, but plumages in pipits do seem to vary quite a lot. I always figured it was the same for most birds.

Hi Ashley,

I just checked up in Svensson's ID Guide to European Passerines
For all the smaller Anthus species (inc. the Rock/Water group): Moult: Adult: Summer complete, winter partial.

Michael

maybe this pipit is confused or trying reverse ageing?8-P

No, thanks for that Michael, it would clear up my confusion, I'll plum for scand Rock pipit then, in a very wierd position (I have never seen or heard of one in a tree, but I guess you never can learn all there is to know about birds).

If this was a Meadow Pipit surely the legs would be pink and the bill yellow? The bare parts as I see them are consistent with littoralis.

Although Rock Pipit has heavy streaking, littoralis doesn't. Svensson says "spots generally few but large and diffuse" Beaman and Madge agree "has underpart streaking very much reduced" -

Michael you're absolutely right about the moult - my apologies, the feathers are abraiding

Darrell

Hi Darrell,

Nope - you were right in the first place, it was me that was wrong to be talking of wear in my 2nd posting. From Svensson they do have a partial moult this time of year

Michael

Aaaaaarghh moult sequences - confuse the hell out of me!!

Darrell

I`ve been a bit wary about leaping into this thread as my Pipit ID skills wouldn`t stand up in court! But looking at the Photo`s and having recently spent a bit of time looking at Rock/Scandanavian Rock Pipits can`t help but think that it just doesn`t have the "look" of one to me, I know photo`s can be very deceptive because of perspective but the bill looks a bit short, fine & spikey to me, even thought the plumage features are consistent with a littoralis, my expectations would also be for a slightly stronger supercilium too, put that hand in hand with the fact its sat up a tree (I know, I know migrants behave in funny ways) and its not the ID that would have occured to me if I`d come across the bird myself.