American Pipit

About the American Pipit
Also known as: Buff-bellied Pipit, Brown Lark, Water Pipit, Japanese Pipit, Siberian Pipit
American Pipit
The American Pipit is a small species of songbird found across parts of North America and Asia. Outside of North America, the species is known as the Buff-bellied Pipit. The species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Water Pipit.

American Pipits are migratory birds. Across North America, birds breed in Canada and Alaska; winters are spent in southern North America and through Central America. Asian birds likewise breed in northern areas, including Siberia, and winter in south and central parts of Asia.

American Pipits are ground-nesters, placing a cup made of dried vegetation directly on the ground of their tundra breeding habitat. They tend to feed on the ground as well, gleaning prey from the ground or low-hanging vegetation.

Details & Statistics

Conservation

The American Pipit is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2013 by BirdLife International. This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

International Names

Designs with this bird

Related Articles

2015 Bonanza Bird #16: American Pipit

Our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues today with a widespread species of songbird: the American Pipit! American Pipits are small- to medium-sized songbirds found on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Outside of North America the species is known as the...  Read more »