wgilman

Is this Buff-belliedpipit or Water pipit?

14/01/2007
Shing Mun Reservoir

tmichael

Actually it is our commonest wintering pipit and the one you are much the most likely to encounter over most of HK, and especially wooded habitats such as Shing Mun: Olive-backed Pipit.

The back is olive, and the other easiest id feature to discuss is the face pattern: notice how there's a prominent supercilium and a less obvious line through the eye, and how the supercilium seems to almost start again below the eye-line, though due to the angle that's not extremely clear on this shot.

Mike Turnbull

wgilman

Thanks Mike

I found the thick short streaks on its chest are extended to its belly, which is much longer than that in the picture of Olive-backed pipit shown in the book "Birds in Hong Kong and Southern China". So I was mislead by the picture. Is that different species of pipit cannot be distinguished by the pattern of streaks on their chest?

tmichael

I'd like to comment further perhaps, but your picture has gone unfortunately.

Mike Turnbull

wgilman

Seems the fotop is quite unstable. I have update the link, please have a look, Mike

tmichael

Thanks for restoring the picture, Gilman.

Actually, this is a different picture of course, so the head-pattern is more clearly seen, and there remains no doubt this is OBP.

There is certainly variation in the breadth/type of streaking shown by this species. This bird seems to have broad streaks ('splodges' really), whereas a lot of pictures show much narrower streaks.

There seems to be less variation in the extent of streaking, after looking at just a handful of other images, admittedly. Relative to other locally occurring species it is quite extensive, with an area from the centre of the chest downwards and outwards where streaking is absent.

So to answer your question, no I don't think any local pipit species can be distinguished entirely on the underparts alone, these  being variable within species.


Mike Turnbull

wgilman

Thanks for your detailed analysis, Mike.
Your explanations are really helpful for me as well as other newcomers. I think I have to go out more and watch more to gain more experience on distinguishing birds with similar appearance like pipits and warblers.  

Gilman