From Opus

Photo by Jasnjohn
Putrajaya, Malaysia, March 2006

Alternative name: Oriental Pipit

Anthus rufulus

[edit] Identification

15cm

• Upperparts streaked greyish-brown
• Pale underparts with breast streaking
• Long legs andd tail and a long dark bill
• Sexes are similar
• Juveniles have warmer brown upperparts.

[edit] Distribution

Asia: found in Mongolia, China, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Eastern and Western Himalayas, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Japan
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Malay Peninsula, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas, Bali, Timor

[edit] Taxonomy

Around six subspecies recognized.
This species was formerly a part of a much larger species called Anthus novaseelandiae which was split in African Pipit, Mountain Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, Richard's Pipit and Australasian Pipit.

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• A. r. waitei:

• North-western Indian subcontinent

• A. r. rufulus:

• Indian subcontinent (except range of watei), to southern China, Indochina

• A. r. malayensis:

• Extreme south-western India, Sri Lanka, Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas, southern Indochina

• A. r. lugubris:

• Philippines, Palawan and (possibly) northern Borneo

• A. r. albidus:

• Sulawesi, Bali and western Lesser Sundas (Lombok to Sumba)

• A. r. medius:

• Eastern Lesser Sundas (Sawu, Timor, Roti, Kisar, Leti, Moa, Sermata)

[edit] Habitat

Open country, grasslands, ricefields, scrub and parks up to 1500m.

[edit] Behaviour

Resident

[edit] Breeding

A ground-nester.

[edit] Diet

It's main diet consists of insects

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• Here is a thread discussing the identification of Paddyfield Pipit. [[1]]