Alternative names: Eurasian Rock Pipit; European Rock Pipit
- Anthus petrosus
Identification
16·5–17 cm (6½-6¾ in). A robust Pipit, obviously larger than Meadow Pipit.
Classic nominate birds they are strikingly dark, so much so that the diffuse black streaks on their underparts become almost lost in a dark grey-brown wash. The most prominent facial feature is a whitish eye-ring, usually broken at the lores.
Similar Species
Most can be told from the similar structured Water Pipit by their dull grey, not white, outer tail feathers and by their all dark head with no eyestripe or wingbars. However Scandinavian Rock pipits of the race A.p.littoralis may have obvious eyestripes and wing bars and some white in their outer tail and in spring their breasts become paler, pinker and less streaked much like Water Pipits. Fortunately they usually show some diffuseness to the breast streaking and more strongly streaked mantle. In non-breeding plumage littoralis Rock pipits can also be distinguished from Water Pipit by their grey to olivaceous rather than brownish upperparts.
Here are two threads which discuss the contentious subject of racial identification of Rock Pipit and separation from Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta. [[1]] [[2]]
Distribution
Forms superspecies with the recently split Water Pipit and Buff-bellied Pipit
Taxonomy
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- A. p. kleinschmidti:
- A. p. petrosus:
- Coastal Ireland, British Isles, north-western France and Channel Islands
- A. p. littoralis:
Habitat
Rocky sea coasts and islands with low growing vegetation.
Behaviour
Diet
They eat a variety of small invertebrates, such as snails, small crabs and worms.
Vocalisation
Call: is a Fisst, markedly more emphatic than Meadow Pipit.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2016)
- RSPB
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rock Pipit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 31 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rock_Pipit
External Links