Australasian pipit

Anthus novaeseelandiae

Photo by David Cook (Flickr)

Common name:
Australasian pipit (en); petinha-austral (pt); pipit austral (fr); bisbita austral (es); Australspornpieper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae

Range:
This species is found throughout most of Australia, including Tasmania, in eastern Papua-New Guinea, throughout mainland New Zealand and also in the offshore archipelagos of Chatham, Aukland and Antipodes.

Size:
These birds are 16-19 cm long and weigh 35-40 g.

Habitat:
The Australasian pipit is mostly found in dry, short grasslands, also using pastures, road sides, coastal dunes, arable land, moist grasslands, rural gardens, forest clearings and edges, and wetlands. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on various insects, such as beetles, wasps, flies, crickets, grubs and larvae, as well as spiders, snails, small crabs and sandhoppers. They also take grass seeds.

Breeding:Australasian pipits can breed all year round, but mainly in August-February. They are monogamous, but the female builds the nest alone, a bulky, deep cup made of woven grass and lined with moss and lichen. It is placed on the ground, well hidden on a steep bank, or at the base of a clump of grass, tussock, fern or scrub. There she lays 2-4 creamy eggs with brown blotches, which are incubated by both parents for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 14 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 2-3 clutches per year.

Conservation:IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally common to very common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

African pied wagtail

Motacilla aguimp

Photo by Ken Havard (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
African pied wagtail (en); alvéola-preta-e-branca (pt); bergeronnette pie (fr); lavandera africana (es); witwenstelze (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae

Range:
This species is found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea to Ethiopia and south to South Africa, as well as along the Nile valley north to southern Egypt. They are mainly absent from southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana and western South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 19-20,5 cm long and weigh 22-33 g.

Habitat:
The African pied wagtail is mostly found along rivers and other water bodies with sandy banks or scattered boulders, but it may also occupy rocky coastlines. They also use man-made habitats, such as ponds, parks, playing fields, golf courses, suburban gardens and sewage works. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on various insects, such as flies, beetles, grasshoppers, dragonflies, larval and adult butterflies, ants and termites, as well as small crabs, worms, tadpoles, small fishes and human food scraps.

Breeding:
African pied wagtails are monogamous, solitary nesters. They breed in August-April and the nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a deep cup made of dry grass, weeds, roots, stems, leaves, downy seeds, flood debris, string and other coarse materials, and lined with rootlets, fine grass, hair and feathers. It is typically placed close to water on the ground or in vegetation, such as reeds, grass and flood debris, or in man-made sites such as outbuildings, holes in walls, building ledges, bridges, roofs and even boats. the female lays 2-5 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-18 days after hatching, but only become fully independent about 2 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common in much of this range, although common to uncommon in West Africa. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Forest wagtail

Dendronanthus indicus

Photo by P. Supat (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
forest wagtail (en); alvéola-dos-bosques (pt); bergeronnette de forêt (fr); lavandera forestal (es); baumstelze (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae

Range:
This species breeds from extreme south-eastern Russia and northern Japan, through Korea and north-eastern China and into south-eastern China. They migrate south to winter in southern China, Indochina, Indonesia and south-western India.

Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and weigh 16-17 g.

Habitat:
The forests wagtail is almost exclusively found in forested habitats, including both evergreen and deciduous forests in both temperate and tropical areas. In some areas they favour oak Quercus sp. dominated forests. They also use second growths, mangroves, coffee plantations, arable land and urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They forage mostly on the ground, taking small invertebrates such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, snails and worms.

Breeding:
Forest wagtails breed in April-July. The female builds the nest alone, consisting of a compact cup made of twigs, leaves, fine grass and rootlets, held together with moss and spider webs and lined with hair, wool, fur and moss. It is placed on an horizontal tree branch, near the trunk, usually 4-5 m above the ground. The female lays 4-5 whitish eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days while the male provides her food. The chicks are fed by both parent and fledge 10-12 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Short-billed pipit

Anthus furcatus

Photo by Roberto Maisonnave (Aves Uruguay)

Common name:
short-billed pipit (en); caminheiro-de-unha-curta (pt); pipit à plastron (fr); bisbita piquicorto (es); weißbauchpieper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae

Range:
This species is found in Peru, Bolivia, northern and central Argentina, Uruguay and marginally into south-eastern Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 14-14,5 cm long and weigh 20 g.

Habitat:
The short-billed pipit is found in pastures and puna grasslands, from sea level up to an altitude of 4.000 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, taking larval and adult insects, such as grasshoppers, butterflies and flies, and other invertebrates, but also eat some seeds.

Breeding:
Short-billed pipits breed in September-February. The nest is a cup made of gasses, placed on the ground well concealed among the vegetation. There the female lays 3-4 buffy white eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are mainly fed by the female , fledging 12-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Leat Concern)
This species ha a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Sprague's pipit

Anthus spragueii

Photo by Gerald Romanchuk (PBase)

Common name:
Sprague's pipit (en); petinha-da-pradaria (pt); pipit de Sprague (fr); bisbita llanera (es); präriepieper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae

Range:
This species is found breeding in inland areas of southern Canada and the northern United States, from British Columbia to Manitoba and south to Montana and South Dakota. They migrate south to winter in Mexico and the southern United States, from California to Florida and north to Oklahoma and Arkansas. There are isolated wintering areas in South Carolina, Illinois, Nebraska and Utah.

Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and weigh 22-26 g.

Habitat:
Sprague's pipits are found in open grasslands with few scrubs, especially in areas of native grasses such as wheat grass, June grass, blue grama, candy blue, green needle grass, smooth brome and crested wheat. During migration they are also found in stubble and fallow agricultural fields and pastures.

Diet:
They feed on insects and spiders, as well as grass seeds. They are known to eat grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, weevils, bugs, ants and caterpillars.

Breeding:
Sprague's pipits breed in April-August. They are monogamous and the females build the nest. The nest is small cup made of dry grasses, placed on the ground and sometimes covered by a grass dome. There the female lays 4-7 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by the female and fledge 10-11 days after hatching. After hatching the chicks are cared for by the male for 1-2 weeks until becoming independent.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 870.000 individuals. The population has undergone a large decline of 34% per decade over the last 4 decades, mainly due to habitat loss caused by the conversion of prairie to seeded pasture, hayfields and cropland, and inappropriate grazing. Further threats include strip-mining for tar sands, the introduction of alien plant species and changes in agricultural management.

Mountain wagtail

Motacilla clara

Photo by Morten Nilsen (Global Twitcher)

Common name:
mountain wagtail (en); alvéola-rabilonga (pt); bergeronnette à longe queue (fr); lavandera clara (es); langschwanzstelze (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae

Range:
This species is found is isolated patches in sub-Saharan Africa, namely in Ethiopia, from southern Nigeria to Gabon, and from Kenya, Uganda, through southern D.R. Congo and Tanzania and into Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 17-19 cm long and weigh 15-25 g.

Habitat:
The mountain wagtail is found along upland rivers and streams surrounded by hills with forests, woodlands or dense scrublands, especially near waterfalls and flat rocks immersed in shallow water. They are present at altitudes of 1.500-2.000 m.


Diet:
They forage along watercourses, searching for prey on rocks, in sand or in shallow water. They mostly eat insects such as flies, mosquitoes and their larvae, caddisflies, mayflies and their nymphs, dragonflies, damselflies, moths, butterflies, beetles and grubs. They also eat slugs and tadpoles.

Breeding:
Mountain wagtails can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They are monogamous and can pair for life. The nest is a deep cup made of grasses, leaves and moss, lined with fine rootlets and hair. It is typically placed in a cavity on a stream bank, often concealed behind overhanging vegetation, or also under bridges or sometimes in trees. There the female lays 1-4 dull greyish eggs with brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-18 days after hatching, but continue to depend on their parents for another 2-6 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as frequent on suitable watercourses throughout much of its range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Short-tailed pipit

Anthus brachyurus

Photo by Hugh Chittenden (Biodiversity Explorer)

Common name:
short-tailed pipit (en); petinha-rabicurta (pt); pipit à queue courte (fr); bisbita colicorto (es); kurzschwanzpieper (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Motacillidae


Range:
This African species is found from Gabon, through Congo, D.R. Congo and north-eastern Angola, and into Zambia. There are also separate populations in Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa.


Size:
These birds are 12 cm long and weigh around 16 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in short, wet grasslands, but also in dry grasslands, pastures and arable land. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.


Diet:
Short-tailed pipits forage on the ground, eating seeds and both adult and larval insects.


Breeding:
In South Africa, these birds breed in October-February. The nest is an tidy cup made of dry grass and rootlets, placed on the ground next to flowering forbs, grass tufts or in tiny scrublets. The female lays 2-3 white eggs with brown and grey speckles, which are incubated for 13-14 days. The chicks fledge about 13 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The shirt-tailed pipit has a very large breeding range and is described as generally uncommon to frequent. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-throated longclaw

Macronyx croceus

Photo by David Nowell (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

yellow-throated longclaw (en); sentinela-de-garganta-amarela (pt); sentinelle à gorge jaune (fr); bisbita gorgigualdo (es); gelbkehlpieper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Motacillidae

Range:

This African species is found from Senegal and Gambia eastwards to Cameroon and the southern Central African Republic, southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia then southwards to north-west Angola, Zaire, Burundi and Tanzania. From there it extends southwards to eastern South Africa.

Size:

The yellow-throated longclaw is 20-22 cm long and weighs up to 64 g.

Habitat:

It generally prefers medium to tall wet or flooded grasslands, but may also be found in dry savannas and sandy shores.

Diet:

The yellow-throated longclaw forages on the ground, taking invertebrates from grass. They mostly eat grasshoppers, moths, beetles, mantids, ants, millipedes and mollusks.

Breeding:

They breed in September-March, with a peak in November-January. The female builds the nest, a thick-walled cup of coarse grass blades and stems, lined with fine grass and rootlets. It is typically concealed in grass. The female lays 1-4 eggs, which she mostly incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, leaving the nest after about 16-17 days, when they are able to run fast but have yet to fly properly.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although the species is described as scarce to rare in most its range, the very large breeding range and the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats justifies the species is not considered threatened at present.

Water pipit

Anthus spinoletta

Photo by James Wood (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

water pipit (en); petinha-ribeirinha (pt); pipit spioncelle (fr); bisbita alpina (es); bergpieper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Motacillidae

Range:

They breed in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, through Turkey and the Caucasus, into the mountains of northern Iran and Turkmenistan, and all the way to southern Russia, Mongolia and China. They winter along the the coasts of south-west Europe and the Mediterranean, in the lowlands of north-east Africa and Arabia, and in Pakistan, north-west India and southern China.

Size:

The water pipit is 18 cm long and has a wingspan of 26 cm. they weigh 23 g.

Habitat:

They breed in alpine meadows. During the winter they use a range of wetland habitats, including coastal areas, estuaries, marshes, river banks, wet meadows and rice fields.

Diet:

The water pipit feeds primarily on insects and larvae, as well as some plant material.

Breeding:

The nest of the water pipit tends to be situated on the side of a steep bank or in a hollow, well concealed by overhanging vegetation, and is made from surrounding vegetation by the female. Females lay 2 clutches per year, each consisting of 4-5 eggs, which are incubated for 15-16 days. The chicks are fed large arthropods by both parents until fledging, which takes place 14-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

With a very large breeding range, a population estimated at 10-100 million, and no evidence for any declines or substantial threats, the species is not threatened at present.

Yellow wagtail

Motacilla flava

Photo by Andreas Gruber (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

yellow wagtail (en); alvéola-amarela (pt); bergeronnette printanière (fr); lavandera boyera (es); schafstelze (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Motacillidae

Range:

This birds breed in most of temperate Europe and Asia and are even present in North America, in Alaska. Resident in parts of western and southern Europe, the northern and eastern populations winter in Africa and southern Asia. The Alaskan population winters along the Pacific coast of North America.

Size:

The yellow wagtail is 15-17 cm long. they have a wingspan of 23-27 cm and weigh 14-24 g.

Habitat:

They occur in open habitats near water, namely wet grasslands, salt and fresh water marshes, and riversides with reeds.

Diet:

Yellow wagtails are insectivorous, mostly eating small insects like flies and beetles.

Breeding:

They nest in April-June. The nest is placed on a vegetation tussock or on the ground, with the female laying 4-8 speckled eggs. The eggs are incubated for 12-13 days, mostly by the female, and the chicks are fed by both parents until fledging 14-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although the population seems to have undergone a moderate decline since the 1980s, they have an extremely large breeding range and a large population estimated at 50.000.000-150.000.000. the species is not threatened at present.