BIRD SPECIES

Water Pipit

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Anthus spinoletta

The Water Pipit is a small passerine bird that breeds in the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic eastwards to China. It is a short-distance migrant, many birds move to lower altitudes or wet open lowlands in winter.

Both sexes measure about 5.9 - 6.7 inches and weigh about 18.7 - 23 grams.

Breeding plumage:

They have grayish-brown upperparts, weakly streaked with darker brown, and pale pink-buff underparts fading to whitish on the lower belly. Head is gray with a broad white supercilium and the outer tail feathers are white.

Winter plumage:

Head is gray-brown, the supercilium is duller, the upperparts are more streaked, and the underparts are white, streaked lightly with brown on the breast and flanks. There are only minor differences among the three subspecies, the sexes are almost identical, and young birds resemble adults.

CALL: A single or double sharp "dzip" or similar, slightly harsher than soft "sip sip sip" of the Meadow Pipit or the shrill "pseep" of the Eurasian Rock Pipit. The short, thin fist flight call is intermediate between the "sip" of the Meadow Pipit and the Rock Pipit's "feest".

SONG: Delivered from a perch or in flight, and consists of four or five blocks, each consisting of about six repetitions of a different short note.

Occasionally catch insects in flight, they feed mainly on small invertebrates picked off the ground or vegetation, and also some plant material.

Predominantly a mountain species in the breeding season, found in alpine pasture and high meadows with short grass and some bushes or rocks. It is typically found close to wetter areas and often on slopes.

They construct a cup-like nest on the ground under vegetation or in cliff crevices.

The female lays 4 - 6 speckled grayish white eggs, which hatch in about two weeks with a further 14 – 15 days to fledging.

SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org