American Pipit  ( Pipit d'Amérique )

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Description:	Pipit pauses for a brief moment in plain sight.
Photo Date:	September 23, 2007
Location:	Hilliardton Marsh
Photographer:	Michael Werner

General Notes

The American Pipit, a bird of open country that spends most of its time on the ground, walks rather than hops, and often wags it's tail up and down whenever it stops walking.  It breeds in the far north, in the treeless tundra along the shores of Hudson Bay and the islands of Nunavut. It is only seen in Timiskaming on migration, particularly in the fall, when harvested agricultural fields play host to large flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands.  A fairly nondescript bird, their high pitched tsip tsip call is often the easiest way to initially detect them, especially if they are on the ground and masked by vegetation. Their flight is swift and erratic, giving the appearance of being blown about by the wind.

The American Pipit used to be called the Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta). It was renamed to separate it from the Water Pipit of Europe and Asia that was once thought to be the same species. In the US, it is often referred to by the name Titlark.

Typical spring arrival:

Typical fall arrival:

Typical spring departure:

Typical fall departure:

Banding Results

Year

Gillies
Lake

Hilliardton
Marsh

Mountain
Chutes

Year
Total