Species: Anthus rubescens

American Pipit

Species

Birds

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Terrestrial vertebrates: birds

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Motacillidae

Genus

Anthus

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104166

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Bisbita de Agua - pipit d'Amérique

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Motacillidae - Anthus - Formerly regarded as conspecific with Asian A. SPINOLETTA (see AOU 1989). Populations on Asian and North American sides of Beringia exhibit mtDNA differentiation consistent with species-level distinctness (Zink et al. 1995); because sample sizes were small, Zink et al. did not recommend a formal taxonomic change.

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description

American Pipit; a small brown and white ground dwelling bird.

Migration

false - false - true - Flocks of 50-100 birds migrate northward through U.S. in March and early April, reach nesting grounds by April and (in far north) May. Departs far north breeding areas usually by late Aug. Most of the migration occurs west of the Allegheny Mountains (Terres 1980).

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

false

Food Comments

Feeds on insects, spiders, mites, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic worms. Forages while walking along open ground or in mud flats and marshes. Also wades through shallow pools in tidal flats (Bent 1950).

Reproduction Comments

Breeding begins early to mid-June (Harrison 1978). Female incubates 4-5, sometimes 3-7, eggs for about 14 days. Nestlings are altricial. Young are tended by both adults, leave nest 14-15 days after hatching (Terres 1980).

Length

Weight

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

1996-12-03

Global Status Last Changed

1996-12-03

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - BREEDS: in arctic tundra and mountains of eastern Siberia and North America (Alaska to Labrador and southern Greenland, south to California, Arizona, New Mexico, northern Manitoba, northern Ontario, southeastern Quebec, and northern Maine). WINTERS: Eurasia south to northern India, northern Burma, northern Vietnam, and southeastern China; in North America primarily coastally from British Columbia and New York south through southern U.S. to Guatemala.

Global Range Code

Global Range Description

>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104166