Tawny Pipit

Overview

The tawny pipit (Anthus campestris) is a medium-large passerine bird that breeds across much of the central Palearctic, from northwest Africa and Portugal to Central Siberia and Inner Mongolia. It is a migrant species that moves to tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent for the winter.

Identification

• Mainly sandy brown above and pale below, making it an undistinguished looking species on the ground.
• A large pipit, 16 cm long with a wingspan of 25–28 cm, featuring a narrower dark bill and shorter wings, tail, and legs compared to Richard's pipit.
• Flight is strong and direct, accompanied by a characteristic high-pitched "schip" call.
• Song consists of a short repetition of a loud disyllabic "chir-ree chir-ree".

Habitat

Breeding occurs in dry open country, including semi-deserts. The species ranges from northwest Africa and Portugal to Central Siberia and Inner Mongolia during the breeding season, migrating to tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent in winter.

Diet

The tawny pipit is insectivorous, feeding on insects like its relatives.

Did you know?

In the 1944 film Tawny Pipit, Eric Hosking's footage was actually of meadow pipits because he was unable to source genuine tawny pipits from German-occupied Europe during World War II.