Long-billed Pipit
Encyclopedia
The Long-billed Pipit or Brown Rock Pipit (Anthus similis) is a passerine
bird
which has a wide distribution. A number of subspecies have been created for the populations in Africa
, through the Arabian peninsula
and South Asia
. The systematics of this complex is yet to be clarified. Most birds are residents or short distance migrant
s.
The Woodland Pipit
(Anthus nyassae), an inhabitant of miombo
woodland in south-central Africa, was formerly treated as a subspecies
of this bird but is now usually regarded as a separate species. Some authorities also split Bannerman's Pipit (Anthus (similis) bannermani), a bird of mountain grassland in West Africa
.
The nominate race was described by Thomas C. Jerdon
in 1840 from peninsular India. This form occurs along the Western Ghats and into the Nilgiris and Palni Hills. A darker race travancoriensis was described by Sidney Dillon Ripley
in 1953 for the form possibly restricted south of the Palghat Gap. Subspecies decaptus described by Richard Meinertzhagen
is found in Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of northwestern India, while jerdoni is found along the Himalayan foothills east to Nepal. The population yamethini is somewhat disjunct and found in Myanmar. Several other races are described in the West Asian region and from Africa.
, 16-17.5 cm long, but is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly sandy grey above and whitish or pale buff below. It is very similar to the Tawny Pipit
, but is slightly larger, has a longer tail and a longer dark bill.
The Long-billed Pipit’s flight is strong and direct, and it gives a characteristic chupp call, similar to Desert Lark
. Its song is like that of the Tawny Pipit, but slower and more varied, sri...churr...sri...churr…sri..churr. Like its relatives, Long-billed Pipit eats seeds and insect
s.
The Long-billed Pipit’s breeding habitat is dry open slopes with rocks and low vegetation. The nest is on the ground, with 2-4 eggs being laid.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
which has a wide distribution. A number of subspecies have been created for the populations in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, through the Arabian peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. The systematics of this complex is yet to be clarified. Most birds are residents or short distance migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
s.
Taxonomy and systematics
This is a complex group with several similar looking birds with very disjunct distributions and the exact patterns of phylogeny are yet to be determined. Several subspecies that were formerly placed within this species have been raised to full species status.The Woodland Pipit
Woodland Pipit
The Wood Pipit or Woodland Pipit is a small passerine bird belonging to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It was formerly included in the Long-billed Pipit but is now frequently treated as a separate species...
(Anthus nyassae), an inhabitant of miombo
Miombo
Miombo is the Swahili word for Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of species. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome...
woodland in south-central Africa, was formerly treated as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of this bird but is now usually regarded as a separate species. Some authorities also split Bannerman's Pipit (Anthus (similis) bannermani), a bird of mountain grassland in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
The nominate race was described by Thomas C. Jerdon
Thomas C. Jerdon
Thomas Caverhill Jerdon was a British physician, zoologist and botanist. He is best remembered for his pioneering works on the ornithology of India...
in 1840 from peninsular India. This form occurs along the Western Ghats and into the Nilgiris and Palni Hills. A darker race travancoriensis was described by Sidney Dillon Ripley
Sidney Dillon Ripley
Sidney Dillon Ripley was an American ornithologist and wildlife conservationist. He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1964-1984.-Biography:...
in 1953 for the form possibly restricted south of the Palghat Gap. Subspecies decaptus described by Richard Meinertzhagen
Richard Meinertzhagen
Colonel Richard Henry Meinertzhagen CBE DSO was a British soldier, intelligence officer and ornithologist.- Background and youth :Meinertzhagen was born into a socially connected, wealthy British family...
is found in Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of northwestern India, while jerdoni is found along the Himalayan foothills east to Nepal. The population yamethini is somewhat disjunct and found in Myanmar. Several other races are described in the West Asian region and from Africa.
Description
This is a medium-large pipitPipit
The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae...
, 16-17.5 cm long, but is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly sandy grey above and whitish or pale buff below. It is very similar to the Tawny Pipit
Tawny Pipit
The Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris, is a medium-large passerine bird which breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia, and northwest Africa. It is a migrant moving in winter to tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent....
, but is slightly larger, has a longer tail and a longer dark bill.
The Long-billed Pipit’s flight is strong and direct, and it gives a characteristic chupp call, similar to Desert Lark
Desert Lark
The Desert Lark, Ammomanes deserti, breeds in deserts and semi-deserts from the Sahara east through the Arabian peninsula and the Middle East to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan....
. Its song is like that of the Tawny Pipit, but slower and more varied, sri...churr...sri...churr…sri..churr. Like its relatives, Long-billed Pipit eats seeds and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s.
The Long-billed Pipit’s breeding habitat is dry open slopes with rocks and low vegetation. The nest is on the ground, with 2-4 eggs being laid.