Help on IDing a Pipit (1 Viewer)

[rssandeep]

Dear experts!

I could only get one back shot of this Pipit - could not get a frontal view - is there any chance of ID..? I figure it's a Paddyfield Pipit but not sure!
Photo was shot in Kabini Backwaters (12.039171607192017, 76.42913703063083) - beginning of Summer here!

Many Thanks and Best Regards,
Sandeep

 

[HouseCrow]

Hi, could you maybe add the region and country in the thread title please? That'd make it a lot easier for most viewers.

thanks
good luck with the Richard's, Tawny, Blyth's or...Paddyfield.

cheers,
Gerben

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

Dear experts!

I could only get one back shot of this Pipit - could not get a frontal view - is there any chance of ID..? I figure it's a Paddyfield Pipit but not sure!
Photo was shot in Kabini Backwaters (12.039171607192017, 76.42913703063083) - beginning of Summer here!

Many Thanks and Best Regards,
Sandeep

Assessment is made more tricky because of the rear view + the bird is in active moult, but you figured correctly Sandeep, its a Paddyfield due to a combination of poorly marked upperparts, 'blocked in' ear coverts and rather diffuse centered, rather pale (new) tertials.

Grahame

 

[01101001]

I was trying to judge it by myself based on other available explanations by you and others, but--while somewhat leaning towards Paddyfield Pipit--I wasn't sure about the malar stripe (Which Pipit? Goa, India, 24 October 2020). How can it be explained?

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

I was trying to judge it by myself based on other available explanations by you and others, but--while somewhat leaning towards Paddyfield Pipit--I wasn't sure about the malar stripe (Which Pipit? Goa, India, 24 October 2020). How can it be explained?

Firstly, sorry for delayed response to your question.

Quite easily as it happens, simply a case of individual variation in a species which is known to display a lot in terms of both plumage and structure. This topic is addressed here Paddyfield Pipit And to complicate matters further, in India in particular, Paddyfield breeding season is protracted (virtually all year round) which adds to variation in plumages at any given time. Ideally, ID should be based on a full suite of characters (plumage, structural + vocalizations) though that is clearly not possible in this instance.

Grahame