Further Notes on Pipit Identification

IDENTIFICATION

Further notes on pipit identification

Lars Svensson

TIS WITH SOM,E surprise I read Ken- According to Parkes, first winter "First winten--Like adult.", and in the neth C. Parkes contribution on pipit Meadow Pipitsdiffer clearly from adults very useful monograph by B.P. Hall identification in American Birds (1982). as to plumagecolor, and color of legs. (1961), nothing is said about differing May a European ornithologist, fairly I do not agree. I have examined first fall plumages. familiar with the Europeanspecies, give numerous specimensin various collec- In most speciesof the genusAnthus, his reaction? tions and live birds in the hand with the juveniles differ very slightly from first Parkes discusses the difficulty of object of detecting any suchdifference winter birds and adults by being on av- separating Meadow Pipit, Anthus which would be helpful to bandersand erage a little browner above and some- pratensis, and (Brown) Tree Pipit, A. which could have been included in my times more yellowish below, and by trivialis, expanding what King (1981) "Identification Guide to European Pas- having a tendency to be more boldly wrote in his very useful paper. Drawing sefines" (1970, 1975), I have found no streaked. The juvenile plumage is re- from his experience from two visits in reliable aging criterion whatsoever placed by the first winter plumage October to St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly, (apart from the degree of skull ossifica- through a molt in late July to early Sep- England, Parkes warns•even stronger tion) in this species, and this is equally tember. After this molt, the age classes, than King did--that first fall Meadow true forA. trivialis and the others. In the being extremely similar before it, be- Pipits look very similar to Tree Pipits, excellent "Handbook of British Birds" come inseparablein the field. so similar that they are easily confused. (Witherby et al. 1939-41) you read: Nine times out of ten, European or-

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234 AmericanBirds, March-April 1983 nithologistshave no problems at all in erby et al., 1oc. cit.); thus often eest- ("Olive Tree Pipit") A. hodgsoni, but separating Meadow and Tree Pipits eest-eestwhen rising in hopping flight. the call of the latter is said to be gener- thanks to the call notes. These birds call There is no strident, hoarse quality in ally finer and more drawn out, ap- frequently, and their callsare very char- this call. (Only risk of confusionis with proaching Red-throated Pipit, A. cer- actenstic. Parkes dismisses the value or Rock/Water Pipit, A. spinoletta,which vinus, in quality though not quite aefine usefulness of calls in a fashion which I has a very similar call, although gener- and high. Alarm on breeding groundsis find difficult to understand. He says: ally discernibly more sharp, intenseand a monosyllabic, distinct sip, slowly but "The alleged distinctivehess of calls penetrating; when in doubt, check leg persistentlyrepeated. Occasionally this would be useful only after one was sure color: pratensis pinkish, spinoletta call can be heard from migrating birds one had heard both, preferably by hav- dark.) when more at ease, often too. ing them pointed out by somebodywho perched, but also from flocks on migra- knew the calls, since the written de- tion, a lower, more quiet pip, again of- LITERATURE CITED scriptions are not much help." Which ten in series, are heard, and softer varia- descriptions?All existing ones, or the tions of eest. Alarm is a b/syllabic tissip HALL, B.P. 1961. The taxonomy and method of rendering bird voices with (cf. King), but this is probably only identification of pipits (genus Anthus). letters as such?. heard from breeding birds. Bull of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.), 7:243-289. I stronglyrecommend that American (Brown) Tree Pipit. when flushedor, KING, B. 1981. The field identification of ornithologistswho encounter any of more often, when flying over on migra- North American pipits, American these two European pipits concentrate tion, calls a somewhat drawn-out, Birds, 35:778-788. on the calls initially and then make sup- hoarse, very characteristic tzeeze (or PARKES, K.C. 1982. Further comments on the field identification of North plementarynotes on plumage,leg color, speez). It is never repeated quickly in American pipits. American Birds, behavior, etc. I will try to give written series, but several calls may be heard 36:20-22. descriptions which, hopefully, Parkes from a bird before is has disappeared. SVENSSON, L. 1970, 1975. Identification will find more useful than those he has When flocks are encountered, the calls Guide to European Passerines. First and second editions. Stockholm. consulted before. (But in principle, from several birds may create the im- WITHERBY, H.F., et al. 1939-41. The King has already given adequateinfor- pression that the call is repeated Handbook of British Birds. London. mation.) quickly. According to various sources, MeadowPipit. When flushedutters a and to some colleagues with personal --Sturegatan 60, "nervous," often quickly repeated, experience, the tzeeze call can only be S-114 36 Stockholm, clear, shrill eest (renderedtsiip in With- confused with Olive-backed Pipit Sweden.

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