Siberian Pipit Anthus japonicus is also known as Japanese Pipit and formerly was known as Buff-bellied Pipit. Siberian Pipit is common passage migrant and winter visitor in Shanghai. Photo: Hengsha Island, Shanghai, November. (Craig Brelsford)
Siberian Pipit A. japonicus, Hengsha, Shanghai, November. (Craig Brelsford)
Lack of streaking on back of this Siberian Pipit A. japonicus separates from Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus. Chongming Island, Shanghai, March. (Craig Brelsford)
Siberian Pipit A. japonicus, Cape Nanhui, Shanghai, December. (Craig Brelsford)
Siberian Pipit, Cape Nanhui (30.850707, 121.863662), Shanghai, November. (Craig Brelsford)
Comparison of non-breeding Siberian Pipit Anthus japonicus with other Shanghai-area pipits. Siberian Pipit (Panel 1) is mainly greyish-brown above with a poorly streaked mantle, pale lores, and yellowish-pink legs. Water Pipit A. spinoletta blakistoni (2) has brownish-black legs and a smudge on its lores. Siberian Pipit (3a) shows much less streaking on mantle and crown than Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus (3b). Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni hodgsoni/yunnanensis (4a) shows two spots on the ear coverts: a whitish spot in the upper rear corner and a black spot below it. Olive-backed Pipit has a supercilium buffish before the eye and white behind it. Siberian Pipit (4b) has unspotted ear coverts and a supercilium buffish or whitish throughout. 1, 3a: sod farm near Pudong Airport, Shanghai (31.112586, 121.824742), October. 2a: Near Wucheng Zhen (吴城镇; 29.180555, 116.010175), Poyang Lake area, Jiangxi, November. 3b: Cape Nanhui, Shanghai, January. 4a: Jiangsu (32.5265, 121.1425), May. 4b: Hengsha Island, Shanghai, November. (Craig Brelsford)
Siberian Pipit Anthus japonicus breeds on tundra and alpine meadows from Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia Also known as Japanese Pipit and formerly known as Buff-bellied Pipit. Common passage migrant and winter visitor Shanghai. Also winters in Japan, Korea, India, Nepal, northern Indochina, and south China. HABITAT & BEHAVIOR In winter and on migration favors open, usually wet habitats, such as mudflats, lakeshores, and riverbanks. ID & COMPARISON Similar to Water Pipit A. spinoletta blakistoni. Non-breeding japonicus mainly plain grey-brown from crown to rump and pale whitish-buff below, with heavy black streaking across breast and on flanks, indistinct black streaking on crown and mantle, and two conspicuous whitish wing bars on greater and median coverts. Has buff supercilium, pale lores, obvious and complete white eye-ring, buff chin and throat, and black moustachial and malar stripes separated by pale submoustachial stripe, with black patch at base of latter. Breeding uniform buffish-orange below, with lighter black streaking on breast and flanks, greyer above and with less prominent wing bars. Non-breeding blakistoni also in southern China; non-breeding japonicus distinguished by larger, blacker streaks on breast, browner upperparts with less distinct streaking, and whiter wing bars. Breeding japonicus more orange-tinged below than blakistoni, whose underparts tend to be more pinkish. Breeding blakistoni also greyer and more prominently streaked above and has a more prominent (whitish) eyebrow. American Pipit A. rubescens reported China. Non-breeding American Pipit usually more orange-tinged below than japonicus, with lighter streaking. Meadow Pipit A. pratensis browner and more streaked above. BARE PARTS Bill black, yellow base of lower mandible in non-breeding. Feet pink, black in Water Pipit. VOICE Call a sharp, squeaky tseep, higher, thinner, softer, and more often in series than Water Pipit and Rosy Pipit A. roseatus. Song, delivered in display flight or from perch, a series of quickly repeated, high-pitched notes. — Craig Brelsford
THE PIPITS AND WAGTAILS OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com has research on all 21 species in the family Motacillidae in China. Click any link:
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
Eastern Yellow Wagtail M. tschutschensis
Citrine Wagtail M. citreola
Grey Wagtail M. cinerea
White Wagtail M. alba
Japanese Wagtail M. grandis
White-browed Wagtail M. maderaspatensis
Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi
Paddyfield Pipit A. rufulus
Blyth’s Pipit A. godlewskii
Tawny Pipit A. campestris
Meadow Pipit A. pratensis
Tree Pipit A. trivialis
Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni
Pechora Pipit A. gustavi
Rosy Pipit A. roseatus
Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus
Siberian Pipit A. japonicus
American Pipit A. rubescens
Water Pipit A. spinoletta
Upland Pipit A. sylvanus
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