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
Recommended Products:
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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