Basic Principles
Pipits, often dismissed as ‘small brown streaky birds’, can cause real identification difficulties, but close attention to structure, plumage and, particularly, calls should enable most to be readily identified. Four species are dealt with here, two common – Meadow and Tree Pipits – and two much rarer – Red-throated and Pechora Pipits.
Meadow Pipit
This species breeds from eastern Greenland to north-west Russia, with many wintering around the Mediterranean. It is a regular breeding bird in Britain, particularly in the uplands of the north and west. It is also present in winter and is a common migrant too, with good numbers passing through the country in spring and autumn. These include birds from Greenland, Iceland and the Faeroes.
This is very much the ‘default pipit’, and intimate familiarity with its unique character is essential before attempting to identify any of the rarer species. Meadow Pipit is a ‘jizz’ bird: readily recognisable by the combination of its familiar high-pitched seet seet call, distinctive jerky and weak-looking flight action and rather ‘loose-looking’ tail. In flight the overriding impression is one of frailty and hesitancy.
On the ground, concentrate first on its behaviour, noting the slightly nervous, even neurotic, demeanour, walking jerkily through the grass with an alert, often ‘head-up’ profile. Next look at its structure and note the fine bill, small, rounded head, slim body and, on the closest views, a strikingly long hind claw. The plumage can appear anything from a fresh slightly olive-brown through grey-brown to a pale faded fawn, but the upperparts are always strongly streaked. Meadow Pipits have a striking plain and ‘open’ face, mainly the result of a prominent eyering.
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit breeds from western Europe (though not Iceland or Ireland) to Siberia. Unlike Meadow Pipit this is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa south of the Sahara and on the Indian subcontinent. It is a scarce breeding bird in Britain, mainly in the west, but it also occurs in eastern Britain as a migrant from the Continent.
Although Tree Pipit resembles Meadow Pipit in plumage, the similarities are superficial. This is in reality a rather different bird. If flushed from the ground it generally rises silently and flies low for a short distance before dropping into cover once more. In wooded habitat it is likely to escape to the safety of a tree where it may walk with ease along the branches. A good flight view reveals a rather distinctive shape, with broad-based wings, a plump body, a deep chest and a tightly closed tail. The flight is smooth and bounding, not jerky and hesitant. High-flying migrants tend to call, but are often so high that they are invisible. The call is totally unlike Meadow Pipit – a distinctive single buzzing peeezzz.
When observed on the ground its demeanour is very different, too. It creeps low on flexed legs, moving stealthily and deliberately through thick grass with a smooth fluid motion quite unlike the jerky progress of Meadow Pipit. It also has a distinctive habit of gently ‘pumping’ the rear body and tail. Note also the heavier, deeper-based bill, more solid-looking head, more ‘neckless’ appearance, plumper, longer body and, on the closest views, a short hind claw (an adaptation to its arboreal lifestyle).
It has a slightly stronger face pattern, with a more prominent supercilium and a thin dark loral line, the whole face being less dominated by the eyering. The upperparts are often more softly streaked than Meadow Pipit and there is normally a beautiful golden-buff wash across the throat and breast and a contrast between heavy black streaking across the breast and finer lining along the flanks.
Red-throated Pipit
This is a tundra-breeding species which nests in the northernmost parts of Scandinavia and Russia. It too is a long-distance migrant, wintering widely in Africa, the Middle East and south and South-East Asia. In Britain it is a rarity, with around 10 records per year, split fairly evenly between May and September/October and is mostly found in the Northern Isles, down the east coast and in the far south-west.
Red-throated Pipits are almost always located by call – a very distinctive long, hissing psseeeee. The species is very vocal, and flushed and over-flying birds will usually give this call. In structure it is most similar to Meadow Pipit.
On the ground, focus on the plumage. The species is unusual in that adults have a distinctive bright orangered wash across the face and upper breast, which is more extensive on males than females. First-winter birds lack this colour, however, and so closely resemble the other small pipits. On such birds look for rather solidly coloured ear coverts, heavy black streaking right down the flanks, distinct whitish ‘tramlines’ at the sides of a very strongly streaked mantle and, on close views, a streaked rump.
Pechora Pipit
Breeding in north-west Russia and Siberia and wintering mainly in the Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Pechora Pipit is a true rarity in Britain. There are just two or three records each year, almost always in mid-autumn on Shetland. Away from here, it is an exceptional find.
This species is shy and elusive, favouring dense cover, and can be difficult to flush. Flying birds can be frustratingly silent, although when heard, the short, sharp dzepp call is distinctive.
On the ground it most closely resembles Redthroated Pipit, sharing that species’ boldly streaked flanks, very strongly ‘tramlined’ mantle (looking very black and white) and streaked rump. Look also, however, for very broad white wing-bars which frame a dark central panel.
There are subtle differences in the head pattern too, with Pechora having a more strongly streaked crown and nape and an attractive golden wash across the face and upper breast. The closest views will reveal that the tertial tips fall short of the wing-tip, producing a diagnostic primary projection.