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PLATE 111: PIPITS I
Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus V
L: 15. Male with vivid yellow wings and tail-sides, obvious in flight, sulphur-yellow underparts
with black band across breast. Female with primaries edged yellow, underparts buffy with belly
yellowish; immature similar with streaked breast. Perches freely on trees. Habitat Open dry bush
country. Note Vagrant Oman and Yemen, from Africa.Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi WV, PM
L: 18. Large, robust pipit; adult from smaller, sandier Tawny Pipit by longer tail and legs, stouter
bill, typically more upright stance, prominently dark-streaked brown upperparts, streaked breast
and characteristic call. From first-autumn Tawny Pipit, some still with well-streaked breast, by
pale lores (dark in Tawny, bleaching whitish). More undulating flight and longer tail give more
wagtail-like flight than Tawny; frequently hovers just before landing (Tawny rarely does). Voice
Flight call loud, harsh throaty schreeip; also less distinctive Tawny-like tjiirrup. Habitat Grassland,
fields, marshes. Note Passage hatched but often rare; winters in SE Arabia.Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii V
L: 17. Very like Richard’s Pipit but slightly smaller, shorter-tailed (noticeable in flight) and
shorter-legged, with slightly shorter, deep-based but pointed bill (Richard’s culmen downcurved
at tip); supercilium often shorter. Outer tail feathers also differ (see plate). Crown neatly streaked,
lores pale. Mantle and breast streaked, on latter often a neat fine gorget; flanks sometimes buffy.
Hindclaw of medium length (long in Richard’s). Median wing-coverts of adult (if not worn), and
first-autumn birds with some renewed to adult type (but not otherwise), have dark centres
sharper, more squarely cut-off against pale tips than in Richard’s, producing a prominent pale
bar (in Richard’s, dark centres protrude centrally, with pale edging more diffuse). Juvenile more
streaked above and on breast than adult, with whiter fringes and tips to wing-coverts more clear-
cut. First-autumn birds from young Tawny Pipit by pale lores, more streaked upperparts, warmer,
browner plumage, distinctly streaked breast, and narrower, more clear-cut pale tertial fringes.
Drops into grass without hovering. Voice High-pitched shreuu or spzeeoo, unlike Richard’s flight
call, closer to slightly hoarse sweeuu call of flava wagtails; also a short chep, chip, chup or pip
reminiscent of Tawny Pipit; sometimes joined into unique schreuu-chup chup. Habitat Fodder fields,
other grassy areas and open ground. Note Passage and winter hatched; vagrant Bahrain, Oman.Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris PM, WV
L: 16.5. Slim, largish, upright pipit with relatively long tail, legs and bill. Adult has poorly streaked
sandy upperparts, nearly unstreaked breast, plain sandy wings with conspicuous dark-centred
median coverts, and bold whitish supercilium. First-autumn birds, still with streaked breast, lack
bold flank-streaks of most smaller pipits. Legs pinkish-salmon. Flight undulating; runs quickly,
stopping suddenly. Voice Typical flight call is sparrow-like chilp or chirrup. Song, usually in
undulating songflight, is simple, thin and metallic, zriiliu, zseer-lee or ziu-ziirliu. Habitat Sparsely
vegetated ground, cultivation, plains; any open country on passage. Note Passage hatched; winters
S Iran, and most of Arabia.Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis RB, wv
L: 17. Large; from Tawny Pipit by creamier-buff flanks and vent, less pronounced malar streak and
creamy-buff outer tail feathers (which bleach whitish to resemble Tawny). Legs pinkish-yellow.
Bill longer with more drooping tip than Tawny, with at least culmen dark. Upperparts grey-brown,
tinged olive in some, pale edges and dark centres to wing-coverts and tertials generally less
pronounced than Tawny, supercilium often narrower and ear-coverts plainer brown. Tail looks long,
broad and dark in flight; when perched tail often flicked upwards and fanned outwards. Seldom
well-streaked on breast and upperparts. From Richard’s by plainer head pattern, less upright stance,
less streaked plumage and buff outer tail feathers (always white in Richard’s). Voice Flight call
loud, clipped tjuip or che-vee; also rich tchup and quiet, soft tchut. Rising and falling song given
in undulating songflight, duiit-diuuu, peet-trueet or shreep chew-ee. Habitat Rocky hills, mountain
slopes with scattered vegetation, up to 3,000m. Note Partial and altitudinal migrant; winter
hatched.