Anthus rubescens
The American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) is a slender, medium-sized passerine, instantly recognizable by its characteristic tail-pumping motion while walking. Measuring approximately 14-17 cm (5.5-6.7 inches) in length with a wingspan of 23-27 cm (9-10.6 inches) and weighing 18-25 grams (0.6-0.9 oz), it presents a streaky brownish appearance above and pale, often buffy or pinkish, underparts with fine streaking on the breast and flanks. Distinctive field marks include dark legs, a thin bill, and...
Breeds in open, treeless arctic tundra and alpine meadows at high elevations; winters in open fields, agricultural lands, coastlines, and short-grass prairies, often at lower elevations.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on flies, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and spiders; supplements its diet with small seeds, especially in winter.
Primarily diurnal, the American Pipit spends most of its active hours foraging on the ground, exhibiting a constant, deliberate tail-pumping motion. It employs a walk-and-peck foraging strategy, often running short distances to snatch insects. During the breeding season, males establish territori...
The American Pipit has an extensive breeding range across the arctic tundra of North America, encompassing Alaska, much of northern Canada, and Greenland. It also breeds in the alpine zones of major western mountain ranges, including the Rocky Mountains, Cascade Range, and Sierra Nevada, extendin...
Least Concern
- The American Pipit's incessant tail-pumping is a defining characteristic, often helping to distinguish it from sparrows or longspurs on the ground. - It is one of the few North American passerines to breed extensively in both arctic tundra and high alpine regions, sometimes nesting above the tr...