Wagtails and pipits · Perching birds
Rock Pipit
Copied!
Anthus petrosus
Copied!
Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Tanguy Loïs
How to recognize it
-
16.5 cm, like a meadow pipit
-
Olive-brown upperparts with dark streaking
-
Buff to greyish underparts, heavily streaked
-
Dark legs, long black bill, dusky outer tail feathers
About the species
Rock Pipit is a modest coastal singer that is easier to notice by the way it behaves than by any striking look. It stays low, moves briskly over rocks, and usually keeps close to its own patch.
Its voice is a thin trill, and during the breeding season both sexes give a flight display while singing. It is usually solitary, but in winter it may gather in small loose flocks.
It lives on rocky shores, beaches, and vegetated cliffs, where it picks up flies, larvae, molluscs, and small snails. In warmer months it also takes grass seeds, and northern populations move south in autumn.
Where to find
-
On stone embankments, breakwaters, and old bridges — Rock Pipit runs along the wet edge and picks tiny prey from between the rocks.
-
Along canal banks and pond edges with open, stony margins — especially where the water is shallow, it shows up in short runs on the ground.
-
On windswept vacant lots by the water, sandy strips, and grassy coastal fringes — the male gives itself away with a trilling display flight over its feeding spot.
-
After wind or rain on slippery paving, near steps down to the water and under piers — it is easiest to notice while it quickly gathers food at the shoreline.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Anthus petrosus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — European rock pipit Encyclopedia article