- Anthus pratensis
Identification
Length 14–15.5 cm, weight 14.5–22 g
A small, brown, or olive, streaky pipit; the streaks becoming closely packed on the upper breast. White outer tail feathers. Indistinct facial pattern. Legs pinkish-yellow, with a distinct long hind claw.
Similar species
Tree Pipit and Rock Pipit
For differences between Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit see this thread in Tips for New Birders Forum
Distribution
Iceland, the Faroes and British Isles, and Europe. Very common in Iceland, the Faroes and British Isles, from north and central France east to the northern shores of the Black Sea and north to the whole of Fennoscandia and northern Russia including western Siberia. Isolated resident populations in the Apennines and Caucasus and has bred in the former Yugoslavia and Romania. Resident in the Faroes, British Isles and east to Denmark but elsewhere a summer visitor.
In winter occurs throughout western and southern Europe, north Africa, and southwest Asia; many birds undergo more local movements from upland to coastal areas. Main movements in August-October and April-May.
Vagrants recorded in Svalbard and Bear Island, the Azores and Madeira, and regular winter visitor in small numbers in Kuwait.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Treated as monotypic by some authorities[1], while some others accept two weakly defined subspecies[2]:
- A. p. whistleri: slightly darker and more rufous above and buff below than nominate, following Gloger's rule.
- A. p. pratensis:
- Scandinavia, mainland Europe, and western Siberia; winters to north Africa, Iran.
Habitat
Open country including fields and farmland, marshes, meadows, heaths and moorland. Also on coastal grasslands, sand-dunes open beaches, especially in winter. Likes open country with plenty of vegetation - upland moorland, heathland, fens, grassland, flood meadows and coastal marshes.
Behaviour
Creeps about in longish grass.
Often sits on fence wires where long hind claw can be clearly seen
Flight
Rather erratic
Vocalisation
A high 'weesk weesk weesk'; a high accelerating song ending in a trill - given in flight.
<flashmp3>Anthus pratensis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2017. IOC World Bird Names (version 7.1). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Meadow Pipit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Meadow_Pipit
External Links
A few photos you see in additional images are of Tree Pipits. Although not mentioned above, the photos highlight how useful bill size can be in identification (with Tree having a more hefty bill)