Bird Guide

Paddyfield Pipit vs Tawny Pipit

Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus)

Paddyfield Pipit

Anthus rufulus

Small20 gGrassland

This is a large pipit at 15 cm, but is otherwise an undistinguished looking bird, mainly streaked grey-brown above and pale below with breast streaking. It is long legged with a long tail and a long dark bill. Sexes are similar. Summer and winter plumages are similar. Young birds are more richly coloured below than adults and have the pale edges to the feathers of the upper parts more conspicuous with more prominent spotting on the breast.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tonynirappathu · CC BY 4.0
Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)

Tawny Pipit

Anthus campestris

Small23 gGrassland

This is a large pipit, 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long with wing-span 25–28 centimetres (9.8–11.0 in), but is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly sandy brown above and pale below. It is very similar to Richard's pipit, but is slightly smaller, has shorter wings, tail and legs and a narrower dark bill. It is also less streaked. Its flight is strong and direct, and it gives a characteristic "schip" call, higher pitched than Richard's. Its song is a short repetition of a loud disyllabic chir-ree chir-ree.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Sonothèque ADVL · CC0
Photo: (c) Johannes S., some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Johannes S. · cc-by

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Paddyfield Pipit and Tawny Pipit.