Pipit, East Sussex, UK. (1 Viewer)

[punkskaphil]

Hi all, could I have your thoughts on this pipit please? This was seen yesterday on Ashdown Forest in an area where both Meadow and Tree Pipit are found. Some of the features suggest Meadow to me (head pattern, beak, etc, and when it sang Merlin suggested Mipit). However, the flank streaks seem to look a lot more like Tree Pipit to me. I've tried to cross-reference with books, online, and the Visual Lookup feature on my phone is also saying Tree Pipit.

As always, any thoughts/opinions are gratefully received.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

you can trust your initial ID and Merlin here. Its a Meadow Pipit.
Adding to your points please note

• uniform head pattern, lacking supercilium
• uniform dark bill
• flank streaking is variable, See other threads here in BF
• quite a few Tree Pipits have more contrasting dark centers to median coverts, even in worn plumage

 

[Butty]

flank streaking is variable, See other threads here in BF

🏅 (being of a less-delicate nature, I might have said 'useless' rather than 'variable' 🤣)

 

[punkskaphil]

Thank you. Good to know my initial thoughts were more accurate than Apple's Visual Lookup!