Pechora Pipit
Anthus gustavi

At a Glance

Nesting across northern Siberia and wintering mostly in the Philippines and Indonesia, the Pechora Pipit is a long-distance migrant that has strayed to Alaska on rare occasions. It is even more elusive and harder to see than most pipits, hiding in dense grass and other low growth, flushing only at close range.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Behavior
Direct Flight, Erratic, Flap/Glide, Flitter, Flushes, Formation, Hovering, Rapid Wingbeats, Running, Soaring, Swooping, Undulating

Range & Identification

Description

5 1/2" (14 cm). Very bold white stripes on back compared to other pipits. Relatively plain face, fine black streaks on chest, pale legs.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Wing Shape
Broad, Fingered, Long, Narrow, Pointed, Rounded, Short, Swept, Tapered
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped

Songs and Calls

Call a short, wiry tdzip, seldom heard, even from flushed birds.
Call Pattern
Complex, Falling, Flat, Rising, Simple, Undulating
Call Type
Buzz, Chatter, Chirp/Chip, Croak/Quack, Drum, Flute, Hi, Hoot, Odd, Rattle, Raucous, Scream, Trill, Whistle, Yodel