Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis
Also known as: Titella
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
18 g
About This Species
A small, streaky brown bird of open moorland, rough grassland and coastal dunes, it forages on the ground for insects and often perches briefly on fence posts or low vegetation. Its thin, high-pitched call is frequently the first sign of its presence, and its parachuting song flight, rising then drifting down on stiff wings, is a characteristic display of the breeding season. Spring and summer on open upland or coastal grassland are the most productive times to look for it.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- As a ground-nesting species, it is vulnerable to disturbance from foot traffic and off-lead dogs, so staying on paths through breeding habitat in spring and early summer is the simplest way to reduce harm.
- Wild birds and their nests carry legal protection across much of its European range, though enforcement and specific provisions vary by country.
- If a bird gives repeated alarm calls near open ground, it likely has a nearby nest and is best left undisturbed.
LCAvesPasseriformesMotacillidae
Seasonal Activity
2,978,524 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 18 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.