Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris )

The Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris ) is a species of bird in the family of Wagtail ( Motacillidae ). This large Pieperart inhabited the southern and central Palaearctic region of northwest Africa and Portugal to Central Siberia and up to Inner Mongolia. The Tawny Pipit inhabited mainly there steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. In Central Europe the distribution is patchy and mainly confined to sandy open spaces in the area of military training areas and cultivations; by habitat changes, the stocks are declining here. The species is long-distance migrant and spends the winter in the Sahel region south of the Sahara, in North Africa, in Arabia, in the south of Iran and the western India.

Description

The Tawny Pipit has a body length of 15.5 to 18 cm, which is larger than the better-known tree pipit. The top is solid light brown gray. The wings are dark gray-brown, the primaries are narrow margins light brown on the outer webs, the secondaries wide margins light brown. The middle coverts are contrasting dark brown gray as the small and large coverts; All blankets are edged with beige white at the tips. The tail is black -brown, the two outer feathers are rahmfarben in a tapering to the base field at the end.

The species shows a strong, bright eyes glancing over that stops above the ear-coverts. The narrow stripe reins, cheek lining and the very narrow chin stripe are blackish. The throat is white. The upper chest shows on the sides sometimes some dark Strichel and the flanks are tinged slightly yellow, the rest of the fuselage underside, throat and under tail-coverts are white. Juveniles are streaked and flaked strong dark on top of the head, upper back and shoulders, the chest is clear dark vertical stripes and speckled.

The legs are light brown, the slender beak is gray -brown, the lower mandible is brightened at the base. The rear claw is in comparison to other beepers relatively short.

At the bottom Tawny Pipit run usually upright stalk -like.

Vocalizations

The contact call is a sparrow -like " zschlippp, thief ." The example provided in the most undulating Singflug, but also from a sitting room or from the ground, simple song consists of two or three syllables, such as " zirluih ... zirluih ... zirluih ". Females can sing also, while they fit her singing the male mated with him to. The females sing especially during approach and departure from the nest.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution area of the Barrens Pieper includes parts of southern and central Palaearctic region of northwest Africa and Portugal over southern and central Europe to central Siberia and up to Inner Mongolia. The northern limit of distribution in Europe extends from the Atlantic coast across the north of Denmark and the extreme south of Sweden to the east through the northern Baltic and in Russia at 53-55 ° N.

The Tawny Pipit primarily inhabited open, warm landscapes such as steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. In Central Europe the distribution is patchy and essentially limited to sandy open spaces in the area of military training areas and cultivations, next to coastal dunes, clear-cuts and burned areas are populated in dry coniferous forests to urban wastelands. Important for a settlement are extended, free of vegetation or barely vegetated areas, small -scale grass clumps and dwarf shrubs and single trees as a seat waiting.

Nutrition

The Tawny Pipit feeds on insects, especially beetles, grasshoppers, Diptera and ants, in the rearing of the young caterpillars also play an important role.

Reproduction

The nest is created on the ground hidden in the vegetation. It consists of fine plant material. Eggs are laid in Central Europe in mid-May to early June, not rare second broods selected towards the end of June. The clutch consists of 3-6, usually 4-5 eggs. The incubation period lasts 12-13 days. Incubation is carried out exclusively by the female. The nestlings are fed by both parents, but often feeds predominantly the female. The young birds fledge after 12 to 15 days, but the plumage is fully grown after 28-30 days.

Hiking

The Tawny Pipit is long-distance migrant. The deduction from the breeding areas from mid- August and lasts until the end of September; last stragglers to the end of October, as demonstrated in Central Europe, in exceptional cases even early November. The birds wintering in the Sahel zone south of the Sahara, in North Africa, in Arabia, in the south of Iran and the western India.

The return migration begins in late February, in Central Europe the breeding grounds mainly in mid-April will be open until mid-May.

Inventory and risk

In Central Europe the species has declined sharply after 1965, as the main causes of habitat changes apply by cultivation, afforestation, bush encroachment, development and a generally higher nutrient input. In Germany, the Tawny Pipit in the Red List as (category 1) is " critically endangered " classified.

Secured Information on world stock does not exist, the IUCN is a rough estimate for the European stock of 2.1 to 3.9 million individuals. Globally, the species is not endangered according to IUCN.

The Tawny Pipit is a species in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive ( 79/409/EEC RL ) shall be shown for the bird sanctuaries.