Meadow Pipit

(Anthus pratensis)

Alert Status: Amber – 52% decline
 

Identifying Features: The Meadow Pipit looks like a song thrush, but is only slightly larger than a great tit. The male and female Meadow Pipits are alike. Typically, the upperparts are grey to olive-brown in colour with darker streaks. The underparts are pale grey or buff coloured with bold streaks and spots on the breast and flanks. The belly and outer tail feathers are white. The legs are a dull pink.
Average Length: 14.5 cm
Average Lifespan: 4 years
Average Wingspan: 22 -25 cm
 

Beak type: Insects
 

Feeding:
Natural: Flies, beetles, moths, spiders
 

Nesting: Meadow Pipits breed in open country on heaths, moors, bogs, and coastal marshes. The nest is on the ground usually well concealed, and built by the female from dry grass and lined with finer grass and hair.
 

Where to see: Meadow pipits are found across the UK but are most common in the west and north. In winter it moves south, to more lowland areas and becomes much commoner in the southern half of the UK. They are found in open country - upland moors to saltmarshes in summer, more agricultural land and marshes in winter. They will even come to suburban parks and playing fields.