They also tend to be found singly or in pairs, not in flocks like the American Pipit. Sprague's Pipits are rather a plain rich, light brown with pale legs and big eyes. Heavily streaked and scaly-looking above with a plain face. Sprague's Pipits are rather a plain rich, light brown with pale legs and big eyes. Legs and feet are pale pink. They also forage along river and lake shores, much in the manner of a shorebird. Breeds in short grass native prairies. This Bird ID focuses on separating the UK-resident Rock Pipit from the relatively rare Water Pipit, and both from the ubiquitous Meadow Pipit. The Sprague’s Pipit is a small bird which breeds in the Great Plains of North America. Preferred Habitat: Open grasslands. It has a plain buff colored face with a large eye-ring. Status and Distribution: Both species are regular winter visitors, but Sprague's Pipits are generally rare while American Pipits are fairly common. The more widespread American Pipit has a different call and flushes away, not up. Status and Distribution: Both species are regular winter visitors, but Sprague's Pipits are generally rare while American Pipits are fairly common. Unlike the American Pipit, Sprague's never occurs in flocks. Larry Jordan December 8th, 2010 at 9:48 am. When flushed, it flies low for a short distance and then drops down. Field identification is usually only troublesome if the observer sees them on the ground from a distance. The plain face and white eyering give it a big-eyed look. Conservation status. The face is largely unpatterned, giving a blank or gentle expression and large-eyed appearance. Once thought to be the same species, Rock Pipit and Water Pipit can now be told apart by focusing on finer plumage detail. Young Sprague's Pipits look a lot like the adults with just a hint of a fleshy gape at the corner of their mouth, rather extensive buffy edges to the body feathers, pinkish bill, and big eyes. Lakewood, Colorado – The Sprague’s pipit is a relatively small, brown striped, perching bird that nests in the ground and breeds in the open grasslands of the north-central U.S. Seasonal Occurrence: Uncommon October through April. Males perform a song-flight display while hovering over the territory, usually for bouts of a half-hour. Young Sprague's Pipits look a lot like the adults with just a hint of a fleshy gape at the corner of their mouth, rather extensive buffy edges to the body feathers, pinkish bill, and big eyes. Similar in size to an American Pipit. New information shows sprague’s pipit does not require federal protection. While the Sprague's Pipit is a species of the prairie, the American Pipit typically favors wetter areas and perches more conspicuously (on fences, telephone wires, and treetops) than the Sprague's Pipit … More secretive and solitary than the American Pipit, Sprague's does not run in the open when disturbed but tries to hide in dense grass. This songbird performs the longest known territorial flight display, and migrates to the South for winter. Larger than a Chipping Sparrow, smaller than a White-throated Sparrow. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. During the nonbreeding season, Sprague’s Pipits appear to be solitary, but in areas with plentiful food, small flocks may gather. Wagtails and Pipits(Order: Passeriformes, Family:Motacillidae). An uncommon and inconspicuous bird, the first specimen was found in 1843, and it was not until 16 years later that a second bird was obtained. Both Sexes; Length: 5.9-6.7 in (15-17 cm) Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz (18.2-27 g) But in the summer things get a bit more tricky. Larger than a Chipping Sparrow, smaller than a White-throated Sparrow. Buffy above, with dark markings on the back and wings. sparrow-sized or smaller Measurements. Anthus spragueii. Similar in size to an American Pipit. Sprague's and American pipits have overlapping habitat requirements in North-central Texas. Sprague's Pipit (Marie Stewart… American Pipits have an unstreaked back and crown whereas Sprague's Pipits have a streaked or scalloped looking back and a streaked crown. They are true birds of the shortgrass prairie, and have declined as this … Great shots of the Sprague’s Pipit Grant! Forages largely on the ground, out of sight among grasses, walking quickly and gleaning insects and seeds. Thanks for the write up. Even where it is common in winter, the birds flush singly from the grass, to circle high in the air before diving steeply to land again. In migration and winter, uses similar habitats as well as some cropland and grassy fields. Nests in native mixed-grass prairie of the northern Great Plains and in lightly grazed rangeland and pasture. It feeds mostly on insects and spiders and some seeds. But in the summer things get a bit more tricky. Black-throated Green and Golden-cheeked Warbler, Chipping Sparow and White-crowned Sparrow, Great-crested and Ash-throated Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush. Conservation. Whitish below with a buffy wash and stippling on the breast. A small ground-dwelling songbird with an upright stance, a short, thin bill, and relatively long legs for its size. Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae that breeds in the short- and mixed-grass prairies of North America.Migratory, it spends the winters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.Sprague's pipits are unusual among songbirds in that they sing high in the sky, somewhat like a goldfinch or skylark. See more images of this species in Macaulay Library. In winter, it becomes an elusive skulker in the short grass of dry prairies. While it's best to see the facial features, their backs are quite different as shown here. Has a plain faced and big-eyed look. Performs flight displays on the breeding grounds. Slender grassland bird with a small head. Nesting grounds are found in the Peace River District of Alberta, Turtleford, Prince Albert and Shoal Lake, Saskatchewan, central Manitoba, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota. If the bird gives a squeaky call and flies upward, it is a Sprague’s Pipit. Notes: Two species of pipits are found in our region in winter: American and Sprague's.Sprague's Pipit is much less common. American Pipits are among the very few species of American songbirds that nest in both Arctic tundra and alpine meadows. I can’t believe you got that in-flight photo! Medium-sized grassland bird with a small head. Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) Species description: The Sprague’s pipit is a relatively small passerine endemic to the North American grasslands. Nonbreeding/immature. Flocks form after breeding and during migration; wintering birds are usually solitary but sometimes found in small groups. It is distinguished from American Pipit by its lighter plumage, with prominent dark eyes in in a light face. Left: Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii) Right: American Pipit (Anthus rubescens). The Sprague’s pipit is a ground nester that breeds and winters on open grasslands. April 4, 2016. Sprague's Pipits can be difficult to observe, given their tendency to freeze or run when approach rather than fly. Note unstreaked flanks. White outer tail feathers visible in flight most of the time. Although they’re found in the open and are not especially shy, these small birds can still be inconspicuous as they walk briskly through tundra or agricultural fields. Back to top. Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. Some American Pipits have faint streaks on the back, but they are never as strong as Sprague's. 4 Responses to “Sprague’s Pipit is Not Supposed to be this Easy” Marcus Valdes December 7th, 2010 at 11:38 am. Family: (Motacillidae) Wagtails and Pipits. Makes me want to go look for the pipit!

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