View source for African Pipit - BirdForum Opus

You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reason:

The action you have requested is limited to users in the group: Users.

You can view and copy the source of this page.

'''Alternative name: Grassland Pipit; Grassveld Pipit'''<br>
'''Includes: Cameroon Pipit; Jackson's Pipit'''
[[Image:African_Pipit.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Subspecies ''rufuloides''. Photo by {{user|Leon|Leon}}<br />Potchefstroom, [[South Africa]], June 2004]]
;[[:Category:Anthus|Anthus]] cinnamomeus

==Identification==
15 to 17 cm. The "standard" pipit across much of Africa.
*Buff-brown streaky upperparts
*White or pale buff underparts
*Streaked breast
*Unstreaked belly and flanks
*Boldly patterned face; pale eyestripe, dark malar stripe
*Whitish outer tail-feathers
*Long pink legs
*Slender dark bill with a yellowish base to the lower mandible<br />
'''Juvenile''' birds have a blotched breast, scalloping on the upperparts and some streaking on the flanks.
====Similar Species====
[[Long-billed Pipit]] and [[Nicholson's Pipit]], which both have buff outer tail and different sounding calls. From plainer backed pipits such as [[Plain-backed Pipit]], [[Buffy Pipit]] and [[Tawny Pipit]] by mantle and back streaking although wear and individual variation can make this difficult to see.
==Distribution==
This is the most common Pipit in eastern and southern [[Africa]].<br />
'''Western Africa''': [[Mauritania]], [[Guinea]], [[Mali]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Ghana]], [[Benin]], [[Nigeria]], [[Chad]], [[Cameroon]], [[Central African Republic]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Gabon]], [[Congo]], [[Angola]]<br />
'''Eastern Africa''': [[Sudan]], [[South Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]], [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zanzibar]], [[Zambia]], [[Mozambique]], [[Malawi]]<br />
'''Southern Africa''': [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[South Africa]], [[KwaZulu-Natal]], [[Lesotho]], [[eSwatini]]<br />
'''Middle East''': [[Arabian Peninsula]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]]
==Taxonomy==
This species was formerly regarded 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]].

Some authors split subspecies ''camaroonensis'' from [[Cameroon]] and Nigeria as "Cameroon Pipit" (e.g. [[#References|[7]]]), ''A. camaroonensis''. Note that reference [[#References|[7]]] includes subspecies ''lynesi'' in this species. However, their map suggests an incorrect interpretation of its distribution as they show the species restricted to Cameroon (''lynesi'' extends to Sudan). Subspecies ''latistriatus'' may be split as "Jackson's Pipit", ''A. latistriatus''.
====Subspecies====
Clements recognises the following subspecies [[#References|[1]]]:
*''A. c. camaroonensis'': "'''Cameroon Pipit'''". [[Cameroon]] (Mount Cameroon and Mount Manenguba). [larger (up to 1 cm); above darker but not as dark as ''latistriatus''; wing feather edges off-white or buff]
*''A. c. eximius'': [[Yemen]] [buff of breast darker and more extensive; dark speckling extending to lower breast (may form streaks)]
*''A. c. lynesi'': South-eastern [[Nigeria]] to [[Cameroon]] and western [[Sudan]] (Darfur) [As ''camaroonensis'' but dorsum more brownish (less grey); the largest subspecies; clay-coloured below; wing feather edges buff or tawny-olive; throat and breast spotting even coarser]
*''A. c. stabilis'': Central and southeastern [[Sudan]] and eastern [[South Sudan]] [compared with ''cinnamomeus'' top of head more heavily streaked; mantle/scapulars with broader streaking; feather fringes less ochraceous more vinaceous; below darker; throat and breast streaking heavier]
*''A. c. cinnamomeus'': Highlands of western and south-eastern [[Ethiopia]] [breast warm buff with brownish; black spots; dorsum olive-brown with feathers edged darker]
*''A. c. annae'': [[Eritrea]] to [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]], eastern [[Kenya]] and north-eastern [[Tanzania]] [the smallest subspecies: mean size around 8 cm less than ''cinnamomeus''; lighter, paler with browner more diffuse spotting; extensive starkly white throat]
*''A. c. itombwensis'': Eastern [[Zaire]] (Itombwe Highlands and Mount Kabobo) [Compared with ''cinnamomeus'': upperparts darker, feather edges more vinaceous; underparts more vinaceous less reddish buff with heavier streaking. Appears similar to disjunct ''latistriatus'']
*''A. c. lacuum'': [[Kenya]] to south-eastern [[Uganda]] and central [[Tanzania]]. [dorsum buffy olivaceous (not vineaceous or greyish); breast buffier than ''annae'', throat less starkly white; compared with ''cinnamomeus'' upperparts less saturated reddish; paler, less spotted below]
*''A. c. lichenya'': North-eastern [[Angola]] to southern [[Zaire]], western [[Uganda]], western [[Tanzania]] and [[Mozambique]]. [Compared with ''cinnamomeus''; above darker, more reddish with darker feather shafts (more heavily streaked); underparts similar but buff extends to the entire breast; reduced white (thinner) on outer tail. Compared with''rufuloides'' upper and under parts redder and more saturated]
*''A. c. spurius'': North-eastern [[Namibia]] to northern [[Botswana]], southern [[Malawi]] and southern [[Mozambique]]. [Compared with ''laccuum'' colder, greyer above; feather centres deep blackish-brown without buff; spotting with larger blacker spots.]
*''A. c. bocagei'': [[Angola]] to [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]], southern [[Mozambique]] and northern Cape Province, [Only somewhat distinguishable from ''rufuloides'': paler, duller. Underparts pale buff with lighter, sparser spotting]
*''A. c. rufuloides'': [[South Africa]] (except north-west), [[eSwatini]] and [[Lesotho]] lowlands [From ''lichenya'': duller, paler, less rufous. White of outer tail feathers more extensive than ''lichenya'']
*''A. c. latistriatus'': "'''Jackson's Pipit'''". Highlands of southwest [[Uganda]], western [[Kenya]], and northwest [[Tanzania]]. [upperparts blackish-brown; underparts cinnamon; wing feather edges buff; throat contrasting buffy white; all streaking blackish rather than brown or greyish, heavy from chest to flanks; bill base pink; outer tail feathers buff]
*''A. c. grotei'': Salt pans of northern [[Namibia]] and northern [[Botswana]]. [Even paler than ''bocagii'' with upperparts greyish; feather edges whiter, underparts paler buff. From ''spurius'': upperparts lighter and browner with paler feather fringes; underparts paler with more sparse spotting; outer tail feathers more extensively white]
(Subspecies descriptions based on [[#References|[6]]], [[#References|[7]]], [[#References|[8]]])
==Habitat==
Open habitats at altitudes of up to over 3000 m, grasslands and fields.
==Behaviour==
It has an undulating flight and can often be seen perching on posts and bushes. On the ground it walks with a strutting gait and often holds itself very erect.
====Vocalisation====
The song is a repeated series of twittering notes, given during an undulating song-flight or from a low perch.
==References==
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug21}}#{{Ref-SinclairHockyTarboton02}}#Avibase
#[http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1831315 Birdforum] thread discussing id of an African Pipit
#Wikipedia
#{{Ref-StevensonFanshawe20}}#{{Ref-SinclairRyan10}}#Clancey, P.A. (1986). Subspeciation in the pipit Anthus cinnamomeus Rüppell of the Afrotropics. Gerfaut. 76: 187-211
{{ref}}
==External Links==
{{GSearch|"Anthus cinnamomeus" {{!}} "African Pipit" {{!}} "Grassland Pipit" {{!}} "Grassveld Pipit }}
{{GS-checked}}1
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Anthus]]

Templates used on this page:

Return to African Pipit.

Retrieved from ‘https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Pipit’

View source for African Pipit - BirdForum Opus

Personal tools

Main Categories

Related Tools

Tools