Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis   [Linnaeus, 1758]

Jump to: Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links

For details point at or click the button; for sources point at the button

   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Motacillidae
BTO Codes: MP, MEAPI EURING No: 10110
Number in Britain: 1.7 million territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Migrant/Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies: pratensis (RBW), whistleri (RB) recorded in Britain (of 2 subsp. in the world)
.
Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 24 cm Weight: M/F: 19 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: anthos=a small grassland bird described by Aristotle and L.: pratensis=found in meadows (from prati=a meadow)
World Distribution: BREEDS: Europe & w Asia, WINTERS: south to n Africa
Habitat: Open grassland, tundra, dunes
Diet: Mostly insects, some seeds in winter almost always feeds on ground

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: Scotland   Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
Abundance Maps: Population Density   Change in Density   Guide to Interpretation
British Population Size:
    Summer: 1.7 million territories in 2000     Note: Best estimate
    First Record: 1544 [Fossil evidence from Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Recent Breeding Population Decline,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: pratensis AMBER (Recent Decline), whistleri AMBER (Important Population)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Bog, Moorland
    Also common in: Grass/Heath, Marsh
    And found in: Coastal Habitat
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
Migration routes: Map of foreign ringing recoveries  and summary map from Time to Fly (in pop-up windows)
European Population Size:
    Summer: 1 to 14 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from the Winter Farmland Bird Survey

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 20 x 14 mm Egg Weight: 2.1 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 147   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 4 - 5 eggs 4.28 ± 0.68 (2 - 6) N = 1381
Incubation: 13- 15 days 13.64 ± 1.08 (13 - 15.5) N = 1381   by the: Female
Fledging: 12 - 14days 12.58 ± 1.20 (10 - 14.5) N = 2477 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 7 May (18 Apr - 16 Jun)
Number of Broods: 2
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.543 ± 0.122       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 7 years 1 months 30 days (set in 1981)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: A
Wing Length Adult: 81.2 ± 2.9     Range 67.0 - 91.0 mm, (N = 4400)
Juvenile: 80.7 ± 2.7     Range 67.0 - 93.0 mm, (N = 93582)
Male: 83.2 ± 2.5     Range 74.0 - 89.0 mm, (N = 450)
Female: 77.8 ± 2.5     Range 71.0 - 87.0 mm, (N = 226)
Weight Adult: 18.68 ± 2.12 Range 12.50 - 24.00 g , (N =3801)
Juvenile: 18.2 ± 1.4 Range 12.5 - 24.0 . , (N =82870)
Male: 19.01 ± 1.75 Range 15.00 - 24.00 g , (N =404)
Female: 18.24 ± 1.99 Range 12.70 - 24.00 g , (N =202)
Seasonal: Summer 19.05 ± 1.96 (N = 1174)   Autumn 18.25 ± 1.38 (N = 5663)   Winter 20.04 ± 1.63 (N = 1797)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

 
Gaelic: Riabhag-mhonaidh Welsh: Corhedydd y Waun
Danish: Engpiber Dutch: Graspieper
Finnish: Niittykirvinen French: Pipit farlouse
German: Wiesenpieper Hungarian: Réti pityer
Icelandic: Þúfutittlingur Irish: Riabhóg Mhóna
Italian: Pispola Norwegian: Heipiplerke
Polish: Swiergotek lakowy Portuguese: Petinha-dos-prados
Spanish: Bisbita común Swedish: Ängspiplärka
Local Names:Hill Sparrow, Mosscheeper

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
No books written recently
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead