The American Pipit
WHAT WETLANDS PARK VISITOR IS EASIER HEARD THAN SEEN?
“Pi-pet-pi-pet-pi-pet-PI-PET! American Pipits (Anthus rubescens) in flight often call out their name. In fact, they may be heard before they are seen, when observers hear their “flight song” as they pass by. The pipits are hard to see on the ground, since they are not “dressed” to stand out, and they may go unnoticed until one of them moves. These little ground-loving birds are camouflage-colored to blend, and they are very successful “blenders” indeed!
American pipits, at six and a half inches long, are roughly the same size as sparrows. At first glance, pipits and sparrows look similar, with their mostly inconspicuous brown-to-gray-streaked plumage. A closer look quickly shows differences. Sparrows hop, and pipits walk in what has been described as a “deliberate” manner. Pipits have a slenderer build, longer tails and legs, and longer, more pointed bills than sparrows. A close look at their feet reveals a long hind toe (called a hallux) and toenail (like those of longspurs) which probably helps the birds walk and forage on unstable ground like snow fields and mudflats.
American pipits are winter residents at Clark County Wetlands Park, foraging on the ground for insects, grass and weed seeds, and searching like wading birds for crustaceans and mollusks at the water’s edge. Our model was photographed at the Pabco Trailhead. They are often seen in pairs or small flocks of birds, striding briskly along and bobbing their tails as they feed. American pipits are not particularly shy and will sometimes allow observers to approach them when they are on the ground. When startled into flight, their white outer tail feathers flash into view.
American pipits breed primarily in the high arctic tundra. A few disjunct high alpine areas south of the Canadian border also have breeding pipit populations. Nevada locations of note include Mount Charleston in the Spring Mountains, just west of Las Vegas, and the Ruby Mountains in the northeastern part of the state; both of which have confirmed breeding records. The pipits nest on the ground, constructing well-concealed nests of grasses and twigs lined with fine grass and sometimes hair, and raising one brood of three to seven young annually.
The Park is a good location for those of us who do not live in the Arctic or above the treeline in mountain ranges to see American pipits! On winter walks along Park trails, listen for the “Pi-pet” call of flying pipits, and look for pairs or small flocks of the birds foraging on the ground in open areas and along the edges of streams and ponds with muddy margins. Check out those long back toes! As is often the case, binoculars help!
– By Chris Leavitt, President; photo by David Walker
Please enjoy these YouTube videos!
American Pipit, Anthus rubescens, foraging, Rob Curtis Nature Videos 6:39
American Pipit – Pat O’Neil Bird ID’s, HOHvidguy 2:46
American Pipit, Saint John, NB; Ethical Birding NB 1:18