Buff-bellied Pipit

The Buff-bellied Pipit, Anthus rubescens, is a small passerine bird. It has two distinctive forms. The American Pipit, A. r. rubescens, breeds in northern North America, and further south in mountainous areas. The Asian subspecies, A. r. japonicus, breeds in north central and north east Asia.

This species is closely related to Rock Pipit and Water Pipit, all three forms having previously been considered conspecific.

Both subspecies of Buff-bellied Pipit are migratory. American Pipit winters on the Pacific coast of North America, and on the Atlantic coast from the southern USA to Central America. Asian birds winter mainly from Pakistan east to Japan and southeast Asia. The American and Asian forms are rare vagrants to western and eastern Europe respectively.

The breeding habitat is tundra, but outside the breeding season these birds are found in open lightly vegetated areas similar to those favoured by Water Pipit.

Like most other pipits, this is an undistinguished looking species on the ground. American Pipit has lightly streaked gray-brown upperparts and is diffusely streaked below on the buff breast and flanks. The belly is whitish. The Asian form is darker above, and has bolder black streaking on its whiter underparts.

This species is insectivorous. Its call is an squeaky sip.