The buffy pipit (''Anthus vaalensis'') is a species of bird in the

Motacillidae The wagtails, longclaws, and pipits are a family, Motacillidae, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five genera. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominan ...

family. It is found in plains and open countryside in southern and eastern Africa. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.

Taxonomy

This species was described by English naturalist

George Ernest Shelley Captain George Ernest Shelley (15 May 1840 – 29 November 1910) was an English geologist and ornithologist. He was a nephew of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley was educated at the Lycée de Versailles and served a few years in the Grenad ...

in 1900. The

IOC World Bird List ''Birds of the World: Recommended English Names'' is a paperback book, written by Frank Gill and Minturn Wright on behalf of the International Ornithologists' Union. The book is an attempt to produce a standardized set of English names for all b ...

recognises five subspecies: ''A. v. chobiensis'' in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwestern Tanzania, northeastern Namibia, northern Botswana, Zimbabwe and western Mozambique; ''A. v. neumanni'' in central Angola; ''A. v. namibicus'' in northeastern and central Namibia; ''A. v. exasperatus'' in northeastern Botswana; and ''A. v. vaalensis'' in southern Botswana and South Africa. ''A. longicaudatus'' is an invalid taxon and is included in ''A. vaalensis''. Some authors include subspecies ''saphiroi'' and ''goodsoni'' of the

plain-backed pipit The plain-backed pipit or plain pipit (''Anthus leucophrys'') is a medium-sized passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It is found in open habitats, especially short grassland and cultivation. It builds ...

(''Anthus leucophrys'') in this species.

Description

Its length is , and its weight is . It is often confused with the plain-backed pipit because both species have plain upperparts. The upperparts of the buffy pipit are paler and buffier than the plain-backed pipit. The buffy pipit has a pale supercilium, and its lower mandible has a pinkish base. It has faint markings on the breast, and the belly and flanks are buffy. The juvenile has mottles.

Distribution and habitat

The buffy pipit is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with a distribution size estimated at . Its habitat is semi-arid plains with grasses and bare ground. It also occurs in pastures, burnt fields, and edges of saltpans.

Behaviour

One or two individuals are usually encountered, but flocks may be found in winter. It frequently wags its tail. Its song is a repeated ''tchreep-churup'', and the call ''sshik'' is given when the bird is flushed. It eats invertebrates and seeds. Breeding has been recorded from July to February in Zimbabwe and August to December in South Africa. The nest is an open cup built on the ground.

Status

The population size is not known. The species has an increasing population trend and a large range, so the IUCN Red List has assessed the species as least concern.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2669742 Anthus Birds of Southern Africa Birds described in 1900 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot