Richards Pipit
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Motacillidae | [latin] Anthus richardi | [UK] Richards Pipit | [FR] Pitpit | [DE] Spornpieper | [ES] Bisbita de Richard | [NL] Grote Pieper
Subspecies
| Genus | Species | subspecies | Breeding Range | Breeding Range 2 | Non Breeding Range |
| Anthus | richardi | EU | c, e | OR | |
| Anthus | richardi | centralasiae | |||
| Anthus | richardi | dauricus | |||
| Anthus | richardi | richardi | |||
| Anthus | richardi | sinensis | |||
| Anthus | richardi | ussuriensis |
Physical charateristics
Largest and most heavily built pipit to occur in our zone. Noticeably large and long, rather dark, brown and buff, heavily and broadly streaked pipit, with thrus-like bill, long and strong legs, rather long toes, and exceptionally long hind claw all forming useful structural characters.
Dark streaks most obvious on crown, back, and chest. Wing shows pale buff double wing-bar and tertial fringes. Tail edged white.
Flight powerful, with marked undulations. Sexes similar, little seasonal variation.
Dark streaks most obvious on crown, back, and chest. Wing shows pale buff double wing-bar and tertial fringes. Tail edged white.
Flight powerful, with marked undulations. Sexes similar, little seasonal variation.
Listen to the sound of Richards Pipit
[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/R/Richards Pipit.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
| wingspan min.: | 29 | cm | wingspan max.: | 33 | cm |
| size min.: | 17 | cm | size max.: | 20 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 12 | days | incubation max.: | 13 | days |
| fledging min.: | 13 | days | fledging max.: | 13 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 3 | ||
| eggs max.: | 5 |
Range
Eurasia : Central, East
Habitat
Breeds extralimitally in continental Asian middle latitudes to tropics, on mainly open lowland level or gently sloping ground of steppe, grassland, or cultivated type, warm and sunny but not arid.
On migration shows preference for ample low vegetation cover. Attracted to neighbourhood of water.
On migration shows preference for ample low vegetation cover. Attracted to neighbourhood of water.
Reproduction
All months, mainly Aug-Dec. Sings in undulating display-flight.
Nest a deep grass cup, lind with softer grass, built in sheltered depression, often on bank or slope
2-5 eggs. Incubation by female 13 days.
Nest a deep grass cup, lind with softer grass, built in sheltered depression, often on bank or slope
2-5 eggs. Incubation by female 13 days.
Feeding habits
Diet mainly based on invertebrates, taken from among ground vegetation and from crevices in logs and rocks, sometimes takes flying insects by jumping up or in short flights.
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.
Migration
Siberian vagrant migrating in small numbers along W European coast. Sometimes winters in S Europe.
Distribution map
