The Nilgiri Pipit, Anthus nilghiriensis is a 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long near threatened

Near Threatened

Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...

  bird species endemic to the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

 in South India

South India

South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

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It is closely associated with short montane grasslands interspersed with marsh

Marsh

In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....

y grounds and small streams mostly in hill slopes above 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

 and Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. Large populations are found in Upper Bhavani River

Bhavani River

The Bhavani is the second largest river in Tamil Nadu, South India and a major tributary of the Kaveri River, the longest river in Tamil Nadu.-Description:...

 basin and Bangitappal

Bangitappal

Bangitappal , is a valley in the southwest end of Mukurthi National Park located at: , elevation: at the confluence of two streams at the head of the Sispara Pass in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu South India....

 village areas at the southern end of Mukurthi National Park

Mukurthi National Park

Mukurthi National Park is a 78.46 km² protected area located in the south-eastern corner of the Nilgiris Plateau west of Ootacamund hill station in the northwest corner of Tamil Nadu state in the Western Ghats mountain range of South India...

. Among 3321 hectares (8,206.4 acre) of surveyed area, 14 hectares (34.6 acre) of Upper Bhavani has the highest breeding density of the Nilgiri Pipit. They are also found in the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve , situated in the Southern Western Ghats in Tirunelveli district, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the second largest protected area in Tamil Nadu State.-History:...

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The Nilgiri Pipit breeds between March and June. It nests inside the marshy grasslands near streams and uses the surrounding grass areas for feeding. Loss of habitat to various anthropogenic activities is the primary
reason for decline in the population of the Nilgiri Pipit.