Olive-backed Pipit

The olive-backed pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) is a small passerine bird of the pipit (Anthus) genus, which breeds across southern, north central and eastern Asia, as well as in the north-eastern European Russia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to southern Asia and Indonesia. Sometimes it is also called Indian pipit or Hodgson´s pipit, as well as tree pipit owing to its resemblance with the tree pipit. However, its back is more olive-toned and less streaked than that species, and its head pattern is different with a better-marked supercilium.

The genus name Anthus is from Latin and is the name for a small bird of grasslands. The specific hodgsoni commemorates English diplomat and collector Brian Houghton Hodgson.

Distribution: 

• Summer: from Himalayan Pakistan and India, westward through Nepal, into China, north to Gansu province, and eastwards through Korea to Japan, and north through north central Asia into north-eastern Europe (European Russia). Occasionally a rare vagrant in western Europe. Breeds up to 4500 m in eastern Nepal.
• Winter: Broad southern region across Asia, from peninsular India, east to Southeast Asia and the Philippines.
• Habitat: Affects open country. Wintering in evergreen woodland, Summers in groves and wooded biotope.

 

• Size: Sparrow+ (ca. 15 cm)
• Appearance: Greenish brown streaked with darker brown above. Supercilium, double wingbar and outer rectrices whitish. Whitish to buff below streaked with dark brown on breast and flanks. Sexes alike.
• Habits: Seen singly or pairs. Runs about on the ground in search of food and flies up into trees when disturbed. Flight jerky and undulating.
• Call: Song lark-like and uttered on the wing, similar to the tree pipit, but faster and higher pitched. A single tseep or spek, also similar to the tree pipit.
• Food: Insects, grass and weed seeds.
• Food: Largely insects, but will also take seeds.

Nesting: 

• Season: May to July.
• Nest: a cup of moss and grass placed on the ground under a tuft of grass or boulder. open woodland and scrub.
• Eggs: 3–5, usu. 4, dark brown, spotted darker. Usually two broods are raised.