Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) lives in moist open grassland across Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwestern Asia, Western Europe. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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The meadow pipit's rear claw is conspicuously long, extending beyond the other rear toes, which makes it easy to spot when the bird is on the ground. It spends almost all of its foraging time on the ground, hunting insects and tiny seeds. Only briefly does it hop onto shrubs, fence lines or electric wires, using these raised points to scan for predators before returning to its terrestrial routine.
In northern Scandinavia the meadow pipit can reach densities of up to 80 breeding pairs per square kilometre, creating a dense population in open moorland and heath. By contrast, on farmland the density falls to just one pair per square kilometre, reflecting the species' preference for low-intensity habitats.
Over the last 17 years the meadow pipit population has fallen by 68 % in French farmland, a sharp decline linked to changes in agricultural practice. Despite this regional loss, the species remains numerous across its range, with an estimated 12 million breeding pairs worldwide. The overall figure shows that, while vulnerable in some areas, the meadow pipit still occupies a broad Palearctic distribution.
The meadow pipit is one of the most important nest hosts of the cuckoo and also an important prey species for merlins and hen harriers. It builds its nest on the ground hidden in dense vegetation and typically lays two to seven eggs, most often three to five. After hatching in 11-15 days the chicks leave the nest in another 10-14 days, and the pair usually raise two broods each breeding season.
When it sings, the meadow pipit's melody speeds up right to the final notes, unlike the tree pipit whose song slows. The bird delivers this accelerating tune during a brief aerial display known as a short song flight. Its call is a faint tsi-tsi, and the rapid finish of the song helps distinguish it from similar pipids in the field.
Sources
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RangeSouthern Europe, North Africa, Southwestern Asia, Western Europe
HabitatMoist open grassland
DietInsects and seeds
About the Meadow Pipit
As the sun rises over the dew-kissed meadows, the meadow pipit stirs, its delicate form unfolding from the tall grasses like a whispered secret. With a gentle flutter of its brown-speckled wings, it takes to the air, its melancholic song drifting on the breeze as it dances across the landscape, a tiny, unassuming monarch of the wildflower-strewn expanse. In its unobtrusive yet resilient presence, we find a testament to the enduring beauty of the natural world, where even the humblest of creatures can evoke a profound sense of wonder.
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