Page 284 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

PIPITS AND WAGTAILS
Order Passeriformes Family Motacillidae Species Anthus pratensis
Meadow Pipit pale stripe
over eye

dark streak or slim, weak,
patch on sides all-dark bill
of neck
soft blackish streaks on
greyish, olive-, or
yellowish brown back
(darker on juvenile)
dark tail
with broad
white sides evenly streaked
ADULT chest and flanks
olive-buff or creamy
IN FLIGHT
underside (yellower
on juvenile)
small, streaky brown
Abird, the Meadow pale orange-
brown legs
Pipit is worth looking at ADULT
closely for the subtleties
and beautiful patterns of its very long
hind claw
plumage. It gives the impression of
constant nervous energy and worry; its calls
may have a slightly hysterical quality.Winter flocks
make shorter calls, more like the “pip-it” of their name. In summer,
Meadow Pipits prefer heaths and wide open moors, often quite
boggy places up on the hills.Their tinkling songs are characteristic
of summer days in the open hills. In winter, many move to open
farmland.These common, widespread birds often fall prey to Merlins FLIGHT: quite slow, erratic bounds and slight undu-
and are parasitized by Cuckoos. lations with bursts of wingbeats; flies up weakly, jerkily.
VOICE Sharp, weak, squeaked pseeep
or tsee, frenetic repetition in alarm;
winter flocks have short, quiet pip,
pi-pip calls, short tit; song long series
of simple repeated notes and trills, in
parachuting song-flight starting and
ending on ground.
NESTING Nest lined with fine stems
in grass on ground; 4 or 5 eggs;
2 broods; May–July.
FEEDING Shuffles about on ground, DELICATE PATTERN
picking up insects and other tiny A close view of this streaky brown bird reveals a beautiful,
invertebrates; eats some seeds. intricate pattern.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds widely in NW, N, and
E Europe; in winter, in W, SW,
TREE PIPIT ROCK PIPIT RED-THROATED PIPIT and S Europe. Nests on heaths,
summer only; see p.281 juvenile; different call;
different call and see p.284 moorland, coasts, dunes, and
song; see p.283 larger and more boldly bogs from sea level to high hills;
darker
streaked in winter, mostly on lowland
plainer farmland and marshy places
flanks
near coasts.
short hind Seen in the UK
claw dark legs J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 14.5cm (5 3 ⁄4in) Wingspan 22–25cm (9–10in) Weight 16–25g ( 9 ⁄16 – 7 ⁄8oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure
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