Innholdsfortegnelse for Larks, Pipits and Wagtails i Bird ID Photo Guides

Basic Principles Larks are ground-living birds generally associated with grassland habitats, and are well known for their habit of singing in flight. The open landscapes of southern Europe and north Africa are home to a wide variety of lark species, posing considerable identification challenges, but only two species are generally resident in the UK: Eurasian Skylark and Woodlark. Of these two, the former is by far the most abundant and widespread, with an estimated 1.5 million breeding territories, compared to between 2,000 and 3,000 Woodlark territories. During the breeding season, Eurasian Skylark can be found in almost every 10-km square in the UK, while Woodlarks are confined to their core breeding areas, which are open forests or heathlands in East Anglia, the New Forest, the Thames Basin and Devon, with…

Basic Principles The species that until recently was known simply as Yellow Wagtail has a remarkable breeding distribution, extending from north-west Africa and westernmost Europe across much of Eurasia to western and northern Alaska, and even into extreme north-west Canada. Unsurprisingly in such a vast range with so many habitats and differences in climate, various populations have evolved different plumages, vocal characteristics and habitat preferences. Some of these distinctions have long been recognised at subspecies level, but more recent research into the genetics of the different forms has led to species-level division into Western and Eastern Yellow Wagtails, a view adopted by the IOC World Bird List and followed by the British Ornithologists’ Union’s Records Committee and the Irish Rare Birds Committee. In contrast, however, Dutch taxonomic authorities divide western…

Basic Principles Pipits often cause identification difficulties and are dismissed as ‘small brown streaky birds’. A closer examination, however, reveals them to be relatively distinctive, as well as charismatic. Three of the small pipits – the ubiquitous Meadow, the rather local Tree and the very scarce Olive-backed – are the subject of this ID guide. Meadow Pipit This species breeds from eastern Greenland in the west to north-west Russia in the east; many birds winter around the Mediterranean. It is a common breeding bird in Britain, particularly in the uplands of the north and west, but it is also present in winter and is a common migrant, too, with large numbers passing through the country in spring and autumn. These include birds from the breeding populations in Greenland, Iceland and…

Basic Principles There are 10 species of lark on the British list, but only four occur here regularly. With its yellow and black head pattern, Shore Lark is distinctive in its own right, but the other three are all brown and streaky. Of these, by far the commonest and most familiar is Eurasian Skylark. It is a bird of open ground, particularly associated with arable farmland, but it can be found breeding throughout most of rural Britain and Ireland. There is no doubt that, in historical times, Eurasian Skylark increased considerably with the spread of agriculture. In recent years, however, numbers have once again declined, an inevitable result of agricultural intensification. Although considered a resident, there is a general autumn retreat from high ground and some southward withdrawal, when large…

Basic Principles Yellow Wagtails present some of the greatest identification difficulties of all. The proliferation of forms and plumage variation create a veritable minefield, while the addition of intergrade and aberrant plumages to the mix only makes matters worse. This article focuses on one main identification angle: the separation of Yellow Wagtail from Citrine Wagtail in spring and autumn. Yellow Wagtail The British subspecies of Yellow Wagtail, M f flavissima, is still a familiar bird in much of Britain, though it has suffered significant recent decline. The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland (1976) put its population at 25,000 pairs with a range extending as far north as southern Scotland. Today, sadly, much has changed. The population is now estimated to be no more than 15,000 pairs, while…

Basic Principles Finding a large pipit in Britain always makes for an exciting day, but it also brings some identification problems with it: is it a Richard’s Pipit (the most common option) or could it be something rarer? Richard’s Pipit This species has a large range, breeding from western Siberia to the Russian Far East and south to southern China. It winters in South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Richard’s Pipit has had a long and convoluted taxonomic history, but similar taxa breeding in South-East Asia and Australasia (and once included within the species) are now treated separately. It has long been recognised as a frequent autumn visitor to Britain, mostly in September and October and particularly on the east coast and in the South-West. However, it could be encountered…

Basic Principles The Yellow Wagtail complex is notorious for its proliferation of subspecies and its great variety of age, sex and season-related plumages. The situation in Britain is relatively straightforward, with flavissima Yellow Wagtail the regular breeding taxon and nominate flava Blue-headed Wagtail a somewhat scarcer but nonetheless regular and relatively familiar migrant. Complicating matters, however, are scarcer, rare or potentially vagrant subspecies from the Continent. What’s more, intergrades between the recognised subspecies are frequent (they are the dominant type in some areas), while birds with anomalous plumage resembling a distant subspecies can occur seemingly anywhere. It is no wonder that the Yellow Wagtails have long been a minefield for both birders and taxonomists. There is, however, some order and structure within the group, with certain groupings discernible. These may…

Basic Principles Pipits, often dismissed as ‘small brown streaky birds’, can cause real identification difficulties, but close attention to structure, plumage and, particularly, calls should enable most to be readily identified. Four species are dealt with here, two common – Meadow and Tree Pipits – and two much rarer – Red-throated and Pechora Pipits. Meadow Pipit This species breeds from eastern Greenland to north-west Russia, with many wintering around the Mediterranean. It is a regular breeding bird in Britain, particularly in the uplands of the north and west. It is also present in winter and is a common migrant too, with good numbers passing through the country in spring and autumn. These include birds from Greenland, Iceland and the Faeroes. This is very much the ‘default pipit’, and intimate familiarity…

Basic Principles Until recently, this complex of mainly dark-legged pipits was regarded as one species, a treatment guaranteed to obscure some very real differences in their ecology, distribution and appearance. Given their more recent ‘split’ status, however, their true identities have finally emerged, though there are still some interesting identification problems to contend with. Rock Pipit This species has a relatively restricted world range, being confined to the coasts of north-west Europe. In Britain it is best known as a dark pipit singing above a northern sea-cliff or creeping around unobtrusively on seaweed-covered rocks. While this is particularly true for birders in the north and west, those in the South-East know Rock Pipit as a winter visitor. Here it frequents not rocky shores but lonely saltmarsh creeks. Only recently, however,…