Water Pipit
Encyclopedia
The Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta, is a small passerine
bird which breeds in the mountains of southern Europe
and southern temperate Asia
across to China
. It is a short-distance migrant
moving to wet open lowlands such as marshes and flooded fields in winter. Some birds migrate north to Britain for winter, taking advantage of the warm oceanic climate
.
Like most other pipit
s, this is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly brown above and dark streaked buff below. It has dark legs, white outer tail feathers and a longish dark bill. In summer it has a distinctive breeding plumage
, with a pinkish breast, grey head and pale supercilium.
The Rock Pipit
's subspecies littoralis in summer plumage is very close in outward appearance to the Water Pipit however. They can be told apart by their song, and occupy different habitat
types even when they occur in the same general area. The Water Pipit is also much less approachable than the Rock Pipit, rising high and quickly leaving the vicinity when approached. Water and Buff-bellied Pipit
do not co-occur except in a small area in Central Asia
.
This species is insectivorous. Its call is an explosive "fit", like Rock Pipit. Its song is similar, but it consisting of maybe 5 "blocks" of just about half a dozen notes each (the Rock Pipit has fewer, but longer blocks); it ends either with no or with repeated trills.
Formerly included in the Water Pipit were the subspecies now separated as Rock Pipit and Buff-bellied Pipit
. The former is more closely related to the Water Pipit than the latter, as indicated by external and molecular characteristics.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird which breeds in the mountains of southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and southern temperate Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
across to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is a short-distance migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
moving to wet open lowlands such as marshes and flooded fields in winter. Some birds migrate north to Britain for winter, taking advantage of the warm oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
.
Like most other pipit
Pipit
The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae...
s, this is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly brown above and dark streaked buff below. It has dark legs, white outer tail feathers and a longish dark bill. In summer it has a distinctive breeding plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, with a pinkish breast, grey head and pale supercilium.
The Rock Pipit
Rock Pipit
The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird species which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. It is mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, in the west of its range, but the Scandinavian and Russian populations migrate south in winter;...
's subspecies littoralis in summer plumage is very close in outward appearance to the Water Pipit however. They can be told apart by their song, and occupy different habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
types even when they occur in the same general area. The Water Pipit is also much less approachable than the Rock Pipit, rising high and quickly leaving the vicinity when approached. Water and Buff-bellied Pipit
Buff-bellied Pipit
The Buff-bellied Pipit , or American Pipit as it is known in North America, is a small songbird found on both sides of the northern Pacific. It was first described by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 Ornithologia Britannica...
do not co-occur except in a small area in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
This species is insectivorous. Its call is an explosive "fit", like Rock Pipit. Its song is similar, but it consisting of maybe 5 "blocks" of just about half a dozen notes each (the Rock Pipit has fewer, but longer blocks); it ends either with no or with repeated trills.
Formerly included in the Water Pipit were the subspecies now separated as Rock Pipit and Buff-bellied Pipit
Buff-bellied Pipit
The Buff-bellied Pipit , or American Pipit as it is known in North America, is a small songbird found on both sides of the northern Pacific. It was first described by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 Ornithologia Britannica...
. The former is more closely related to the Water Pipit than the latter, as indicated by external and molecular characteristics.
External links
- Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta
- Avibase Links in turn to Flckr Handguide