Wagtails and pipits · Perching birds
Red-throated Pipit
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Anthus cervinus
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Body length 14–15 cm
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Adults with a rusty-red throat; first-winter juveniles with a white throat
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Brown upperparts with dark streaks and pale back stripes; black spots on the pale underparts
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In flight, a sharp, then drawn-out
About the species
In breeding plumage, the throat and face turn brick red against a brown, heavily streaked back. Pale stripes run along the mantle, while the underside is whitish with dark marks across the chest and flanks. The red throat can remain through winter, though young pipits in their first winter have pale throats.
Most of its song comes in flight, starting with quick notes and running into trills before a rough rattle. A brief “psii” call often comes as it flies on a strong, direct course. It nests on the ground in grass or marsh vegetation, often beside a tussock.
It breeds in open northern country, including tundra, marshes and mountains, feeding mainly on insects but also taking seeds. After breeding, it makes a long migration to winter in Africa and Southeast Asia; some also winter in western Alaska.
Where to find
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In open tundra or mountain country of the far north during the breeding season, listen for the Red-throated Pipit's sharp "psii" call in flight.
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On open bogs in the northern taiga, listen for song — it is heard mostly in flight.
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In northern marshy lowlands with deciduous shrubs, listen for a shorter song from the ground or a branch; encounters in western Europe are rare and irregular, so urban parks are not a reliable place to search.
