Anthus spinoletta
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.
Length
15cm to 17cm
Wingspan
25cm to 28cm
Weight
18g to 24g
Males and females have similar plumage
Primary Colour
Brown Grey
Secondary Colour
White Buff
Beak Colour
Brown
Leg Colour
Brown
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
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.
615 to 3,200 meters
Temperate, Subarctic
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:
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