Pampas Pipit

Overview

The Pampas pipit (Anthus chacoensis) is a very small bird in the family Motacillidae, native to the grasslands of the Pampas in Argentina and Paraguay. It was first described as a subspecies of the yellowish pipit before being recognised as a full species in 1953.

Identification

• Measures approximately 14 cm (5.5 in) in length with a uniform plumage across sexes.
• Adults feature a dark brown head with a pale eye-ring, a short dark 'moustache', and a faint dark cheek streak.
• Upperparts are dark brown with greyish feather edges creating a striped look, while underparts are white with dark breast spots and flank streaks.
• Possesses a dark iris, a dark bill with a pinkish base to the mandible, and pinkish legs and feet.
• Song is a long, protracted series of more than 50 syllables, including sounds like 'cliclicliclicli' and 'dlewdlew', delivered during a high-altitude flight display.

Habitat

Found from Concepción Department in east-central Paraguay to south-central Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, it nominally inhabits Pampas grasslands but is now found almost entirely in agricultural fields. The species is a partial migrant, with southern populations moving north for the non-breeding season and appearing in Paraguay only as a non-breeding migrant.

Diet

The specific diet of the Pampas pipit has not been studied, but the species forages on the ground in a manner typical of pipits.

Did you know?

Male Pampas pipits perform a flight display that can reach 80 m (260 ft) above the ground and last for more than an hour.