Sprague's Pipit

Overview

The Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) is a small, migratory songbird in the family Motacillidae that breeds in the short- and mixed-grass prairies of North America. It is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is protected as a threatened species in Canada.

Identification

• Buffy brown plumage with darker streaking, appearing cryptic and similar in both sexes.
• Small size, measuring 5.9–6.7 in (15–17 cm) in length, with a slender bill and pinkish to yellow legs.
• Distinctive descending song heard from high in the sky, often more easily identified by voice than by sight.

Habitat

Breeds in native grasslands with minimal human disturbance across the north central prairies of the United States and Canada, specifically in areas of mixed or short grass. Winters are spent in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, ranging from southern California and Texas to parts of the Mexican interior and Atlantic coast.

Diet

Eats various insects, spiders, and occasionally seeds, becoming almost entirely insectivorous during the breeding season. Adults feed the young exclusively on insects during this period.

Did you know?

The species is named after the botanical illustrator Isaac Sprague. It is unusual among songbirds for singing high in the sky, a behaviour somewhat similar to that of a goldfinch or skylark.