Upland Pipit A. sylvanus ranges Afghanistan across Himalayas to China, where resident Sichuan and Yunnan to Zhejiang and Hong Kong. HABITAT Mountainsides with scattered boulders, bushes, and trees. Breeding up to 3000 m (9,840 ft.), in Hong Kong 500 m (1,640 ft.). ID & COMPARISON Large, stocky pipit. Richard’s Pipit A. richardi, Paddyfield Pipit A. rufulus, and Blyth’s Pipit A. godlewskii have a slimmer, less compact build and rarely occur on grassy slopes. In Hong Kong Blyth’s Pipit and Upland Pipit breed together. Upland has underparts buffish to whitish, with a different underside pattern from Richard’s Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, and Blyth’s Pipit. In Upland, blackish streaks are prominent on sides of breast and flanks and less prominent on center of breast. Richard’s Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, and Blyth’s Pipit have unstreaked flanks and more uniform patterning across the breast. Crown and mantle brown with heavier streaking than Richard’s Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, and Blyth’s Pipit. Streaking continues down back and rump to uppertail coverts. Wingbars indistinct or absent in Upland, present Richard’s Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, and Blyth’s Pipit. Has prominent white supercilium and brown ear coverts and buff submoustachial stripe between black moustachial and malar stripes. BARE PARTS Bill black above, pink below, noticeably shorter and heavier than Richard’s Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, and Blyth’s Pipit. Pink legs and hind claw also shorter. VOICE Unpipit-like song much like teacher, teacher of Japanese Tit. Calls rarely, with chirping sound reminiscent of a sparrow. — Craig Brelsford
THE PIPITS AND WAGTAILS OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com has research on all 22 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
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
