Blyths Pipit
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Motacillidae | [latin] Anthus godlewskii | [UK] Blyths Pipit | [FR] Pitpit de Blyth | [DE] Steppenpieper | [ES] Bisbita Estepario | [NL] Mongoolse Pieper
Subspecies
Monotypic species
Physical charateristics
Large and long, rather bright, buff, streaked pipit, with general character. In all plumages, indistinct cheek surround, rather pale hindneck, prominent median and greater covert panels, and orange-buff tone of whole underbody including under tail-coverts provide clues, but no clearly diagnostic characters yet established. Sexes similar, no seasonal variation
Listen to the sound of Blyths Pipit
[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/B/Blyths Pipit.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
| wingspan min.: | 28 | cm | wingspan max.: | 30 | cm |
| size min.: | 16 | cm | size max.: | 17 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 12 | days | incubation max.: | 14 | days |
| fledging min.: | 0 | days | fledging max.: | 14 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 3 | ||
| eggs max.: | 5 |
Range
Eurasia : Central
Habitat
Breeds extralimitally in middle, lower middle, and low latitudes in continental steppe zone and in uplands and mountains. Occasionally on mountain slopes and permafrost ground and on very damp meadows, but typically differs in avoiding latter in favour of gravel or stony steppe, meadow steppe, and dry slopes.
Reproduction
Laying in May, In display-flight, rises to 10-20m, hovers while singing, then descends steeply to ground.
Nest a well-camouflaged grass cup, on ground. 3-5 eggs. Incubation by female, 12-14 days.
Nest a well-camouflaged grass cup, on ground. 3-5 eggs. Incubation by female, 12-14 days.
Feeding habits
Diet mainly based on insects and other invertebrates, also seeds. Taken from among ground vegetation. Behaviour much as that of other grassland pipits.
Conservation
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Breeding range from eastern Altai (Russia) east to Manchuria and south to Tibet. Vagrant in Britain, October 1882 and 4 records October-December 1990-94. In Belgium: two, November 1986 and november 2005. In the Netherlands, one collected in November 1983. Norway: November 1995. Finland: 6 individuals, October-November, 1974-90 (probably now very rare but regular visitor). Israel: one Eilat, November 1987.
Migration
Winters in peninsular India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands and nw,s Burma, including Tenasserim. (Sibley Charles G. 1996)
Distribution map
