Anthus trivialis
The Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a medium-sized passerine bird, closely related to other pipits and wagtails within the family Motacillidae. Averaging 15-16 cm in length with a wingspan of 25-27 cm and weighing 18-25 grams, it presents a subtly patterned yet distinctive appearance. Its upperparts are olive-brown with heavy dark streaking, contrasting with buffy-white underparts, which are also prominently streaked on the breast and flanks. Key identification marks include a pale supercili...
This species favors open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, heathlands, bushy pastures, and orchards, requiring scattered trees for song perches and short ground vegetation for foraging, typically found at lower to mid-elevations.
The diet of the Tree Pipit consists mainly of insects and other invertebrates such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, and spiders, gleaned from the ground or caught in flight; they also consume small seeds, especially in autumn.
Tree Pipits are diurnal birds, primarily foraging on the ground with a distinctive walking or running gait, interspersed with short, agile hops. Their diet consists mainly of insects, which they glean from vegetation or catch in short aerial sallies from a perch. During the breeding season, males...
The Tree Pipit boasts an extensive breeding range across much of the Palearctic, encompassing nearly all of Europe (excluding Iceland, Ireland, and extreme southern areas) and extending eastward through temperate Asia to western Siberia, Mongolia, and parts of Kazakhstan. In autumn, these accompl...
Least Concern
- The 'Tree' in Tree Pipit is somewhat misleading; while they use trees as song posts, they primarily forage and nest on the ground. - Their distinctive parachute-like song flight is one of the most iconic sounds of European open woodlands during spring and early summer. - Tree Pipits are long-di...