Red-throated Pipit (BBRC)

Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus

Vagrant. Scandinavia east across Russia.

This species is inexplicably rare in the county with only three widely spaced records, one in spring and two in autumn. The bird at Gibraltar Point NNR May 26th-28th 1992 was a male and was heard in song. That in October 2013 was a flyover bird only heard calling by three experienced observers. Unsurprisingly, we have no photographs of this species!

The species has been ex-BBRC 2006-2014 but was re-listed from 2015 onwards as its annual number numbers in Britain declined during that time. Over the last 35 years numbers have fluctuated wildly, between a low of two in 1986 and an extraordinary 47 in 1992. These fluctuations are hard to explain. Red-throated Pipit is a common bird over its vast range and its population is thought to be stable. About 10 per year are being reported in Britain. The vast majority in Britain have been in Shetland (123), Isles of Scilly (93) and Norfolk (68); East and North Yorkshire have recorded 34. It’s difficult to believe that this species is not being regularly missed in Lincolnshire amidst the vast numbers of Meadow Pipits, A. pratensis, that crowd our coastline every autumn.

Finder’s report: Red-throated Pipit at Grainthorpe Marsh, September 21st, 1977, first county record.

by S. Lorand.

Note:  this account is based on the original RC submission. In the BBRC report for 1977, it was noted that this was another good showing for the third year in a row, with 11 records. There were 16 records in 1975 and 14 in 1976. Prior to this, there were records in every year, 1963-1974, averaging just under four per year. This brought the British total to 102 records since 1950.

Circumstances

My attention was first drawn by an abrupt, explosive ‘skeep’ or ‘skeeb’ call as the bird landed in short grass on the sea bank c. 40 yd. in front of me. It stood motionless, slightly hunched, thus enabling me to obtain the following details. I viewed it through 10x40 Zeiss binoculars for five minutes at distances of between 25-60 yd. Weather was cloudy, 8/8 cloud cover with a NE wind, force 6, visibility moderate in good light. Plenty of Meadow Pipits were present for comparison.

Description

General appearance – perhaps marginally larger than a Meadow Pipit, plumage different in several respects. In flight it looked stouter than a Meadow Pipit and was more powerful and determined, flying solidly into the force 6 wind. At this stage the head and bill looked blunter and less refined than Meadow Pipit. On the following morning I relocated the bird at 07.00 hr. when it was perched on a thistle top. Again, it called before flying on to the marsh. I did not see it later that day when I visited the area.

Head and crown – crown well streaked contrasting with well-marked pale supercilium extending from base of bill, over and well beyond eye. Lores and cheeks darkish, chin and throat pale.

Upperparts – streaked darker brown and more buff than Meadow Pipit, streaks being bold and prominent. Mantle well-marked, creamy lines down the back standing out well. Off white tips apparent on median coverts, and primaries dull, medium brownish with paler edgings. Rump concealed by wings and not seen clearly in flight when prominent white outer tail feathers noted.

Underparts – heavy streaking on the underparts was the most striking feature. Breast was a warm pale buff contrasting with the dark streaks which formed long, bold, wavy lines and extended on to the flanks, but the belly was unstreaked and paler than the breast.

Bare parts – bill appeared dark, and legs hidden in grass.

Behaviour – when I began to stalk the bird it immediately rose up, called again, and flew on to the saltmarsh where it perched on top of a clump of Sea Purslane c. 60 yd. away. It called twice while perched, being clearly audible, then flew further out into the marsh, where I decided to leave it.

(Account prepared in December 2017; includes all records up to 2016; updated September 2022).