Water Pipit

Anthus spinoletta

A hardy songbird that thrives in mountainous regions and wetlands across Europe and Asia, venturing to lower altitudes during winter months.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Water Pipit is a small, slender passerine with a streaked brown upperpart and pale underparts. It has a long tail, thin bill, and distinctive white outer tail feathers visible in flight.

During the breeding season, adults develop a pinkish wash on the breast and a pale supercilium. Non-breeding plumage is duller, with heavier streaking on the underparts.

Females are similar to males, with no significant differences in plumage or size. However, females sometimes have a greyer head. Juveniles resemble non-breeding adults but are darker, and their plumage is distinctly more streaked, particularly on the underparts.

Size

Length

15cm to 17cm

Wingspan

25cm to 28cm

Weight

18g to 24g

Colours

Males and females have similar plumage

Primary Colour

Brown Grey

Secondary Colour

White Buff

Beak Colour

Brown

Leg Colour

Brown

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Water Pipit can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Water Pipit can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Water Pipit can be found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Water Pipit is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Water Pipits breed in high-altitude meadows and rocky areas of mountain ranges across Europe and Asia. They prefer open, moist habitats near streams or snowmelt areas.

In winter, they migrate to lower elevations, frequenting coastal marshes, wet grasslands, and agricultural fields. In the UK, they are winter visitors found along the southern and eastern coasts.

Common UK locations include Norfolk, Cornwall, Dorset, Merseyside, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Surrey and Lincolnshire among other places. Sighting is best between October and April.

Elevation Range

615 to 3,200 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subarctic

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Water Pipit. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons