Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii 布氏鷚
Category I. Accidental.
IDENTIFICATION
15-17 cm. Differs subtly from Richard’s Pipit in being slightly smaller and, typically, browner more distinctly streaked above and deeper buff below (especially on the flanks). It has a more distinctly streaked breast and blackish malar stripe and patch, unmarked lores and narrower pale edges to tertials (Lewington et al. 1991). The dark centres to adult-type median coverts are more square-tipped and less pointed. The legs are often slightly shorter and the bill relatively more deeply-based and shorter. It has a call that is diagnostically different from Richard’s Pipit (see below), and it often gives short ‘chup’ notes.
VOCALISATIONS
The typical flight call that is crucial in separation from Richard’s Pipit is slightly higher-pitched and less grating.
DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE
Both records have occurred in open country, which is typical of the species.
OCCURRENCE
2002: one at Kam Tin during 9-10 October (Leader 2007).
2013: one at Long Valley on 9 October.
BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET
More skulking than Richard’s Pipit, the first HK record foraged more in the manner of an Olive-backed Pipit.
CONSERVATION STATUS
IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend stable.
RANGE & SYSTEMATICS
Monotypic. Breeds largely in Mongolia, extending somewhat into adjacent part of the Russian Federation and northeast China; winters largely in India and Sri Lanka, but also Myanmar and the UAE (Tyler et al. 2020, Liu and Chen 2020).
Leader, P. J. (2007). Blyth’s Pipit A. godlewskii at Kam Tin: the First Hong Kong record. Hong Kong Bird Report 2001-02: 182-184.
Lewington, I., P. Alström and P. Colston (1991). A field guide to the rare birds of Britain and Europe.
Liu, Y. and Y. H. Chen (eds) (2020). The CNG Field Guide to the Birds of China (in Chinese). Hunan Science and Technology Publication House, Changsha.
Tyler, S., E. de Juana, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Blyth's Pipit (Anthus godlewskii), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blypip1.01
