African Pipit
Anthus cinnamomeus
Also known as: Grassveld Pipit
About This Species
Look for this pipit walking or running across short grassland, farmland and open savanna, bobbing its tail and occasionally perching on low mounds or fence posts. Its plain, streaked plumage blends well with the ground, but a thin, high call in flight often gives it away. Open grassland during the dry season, when vegetation is shorter and birds are easier to spot on the ground, tends to be most productive.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Watch from a stationary position rather than walking through grassland toward a foraging or displaying bird, since ground-nesting pipits are vulnerable to trampling and disturbance at the nest.
- Wild bird protections exist under national wildlife legislation across much of its African range, though enforcement and specific provisions vary considerably by country.
- Avoid walking through likely nesting habitat during the breeding season.
LCAvesPasseriformesMotacillidae
Seasonal Activity
198,371 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
Photo
(c) Ernest Porter, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ernest Porter
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.