Bird name:

Sprague's Pipit

Anthus spragueii

Order

PASSERIFORMES

Family

Wagtails and Pipits (Motacillidae)

Code 4

SPPI

Code 6

ANTSPR

ITIS

178499

Breeding Location:

Prairies, shortgrass

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Uncommon to rare

Egg Color:

Buff or gray with brown or gray marks at large end

Number of Eggs:

4 - 6

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Grasses, twigs, weeds lined with down.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Sprague's Pipit: Medium-sized pipit with streaked, brown upperparts, buff breast with dark streaks, and white throat and belly. Eyebrows are white. Tail is brown with white edges. Legs are yellow to pale brown. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Sprague's Pipit: Breeds from Alberta and Manitoba south to Minnesota and Montana. Spends winters from southern Great Plains east to Mississippi, and in the southwest. Preferred habitats include short-grass fields.

Breeding and Nesting

Sprague's Pipit: Four to six buff or gray eggs marked with brown or gray at larger end are laid in a nest made of grass and twigs, lined with fine materials, and built on the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female; may raise two broods per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Sprague's Pipit: Feeds on insects and seeds; forages on the ground by walking or running, constantly bobbing its tail.

Vocalization

Sprague's Pipit: Song is a series of descending notes; call is high-pitched "sweep-sweep."

Similar Species

Sprague's Pipit: American Pipit has darker legs and lack streaks on back; constantly bobs its tail.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America