Water Pipit

Anthus spinoletta

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesGrasslandCup nestSmall · 24 g

What the Water Pipit sounds like

Sonogram of the Water Pipit: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Cabane Vauban (Carolles), Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Water Pipit: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Vains, Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Water Pipit: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Genêts, Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The water pipit is 15–17 centimetres (5.9–6.7 in) long and weighs 18.7–23 grams (0.66–0.81 oz). The adult of the nominate race in spring plumage has greyish-brown upperparts, weakly streaked with darker brown, and pale pink-buff underparts fading to whitish on the lower belly. There may be some faint streaking on the breast and flanks. The head is grey with a broad white supercilium. The outer tail feathers are white, and the legs, bill and iris are dark brown or blackish. In non-breeding plumage, the head is grey-brown and the supercilium is less distinct. Voice: The water pipit's song is delivered from a perch or in flight, and consists of four or five blocks, each consisting of about half a dozen repetitions of a different short note. In comparison, the European rock pipit's song is a sequence of about twenty tinkling cheepa notes followed by a rising series of thin gee calls, and finishing with a short trill.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Water Pipit

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 8 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Water Pipit

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 76 countries with regular records, and 5 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Moldova, Libya, Bangladesh, Guernsey.

About the Water Pipit

The water pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic eastwards to China. It is a short-distance migrant; many birds move to lower altitudes or wet open lowlands in winter.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: American Pipit vs Water Pipit · Tree Pipit vs Water Pipit · European Rock Pipit vs Water Pipit · Paddyfield Pipit vs Water Pipit · African Pipit vs Water Pipit

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