IDENTIFICATION

VOCALISATIONS

Song is generally delivered from March to June but has been heard as early as 31 January and as late as 27 November. The song is distinctive and atypical of pipits, consisting of a pair of notes ‘see-tut-see-tut-see-tut…’ repeated with a 10-30 sec gap; the first element of the pair is quiet, the second tonally clear with a slight drop in pitch along its length. Males in song often stand on exposed rocky perches. Song flight is occasionally carried out during which the song strophe is longer.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

Upland Pipit occurs in upland grassy areas often strewn with rocks that act as song posts. It used to be quite widely distributed in higher areas of the New Territories and Lantau, particularly the Tai Mo Shan Massif, Ma On Shan, Pat Sin Leng, Lam Tsuen CP, Lantau and Sunset Peaks and Sharp Peak in Sai Kung. It usually occurred above 500m and was generally rather scarce, and where both were found together it was usually far less numerous than the locally-breeding Richard’s Pipits.

However, it has undergone a substantial decline in its range. It was recorded in 3.2% of squares during the breeding bird atlas of 1993-96, but in only 0.6% of squares in the equivalent 2016-19 survey; the decline between the two winter atlas surveys of 2001-05 and 2016-19 was from 0.6% to 0.0%.

During the most recent breeding bird survey it was only recorded in Pat Sin Leng and Lam Tsuen CP, Sharp Peak and Lantau Peak. It appears to have disappeared from Tai Mo Shan, which was formerly a stronghold and where it was last recorded in 2018. The reason for the decline is presumed to be the transition of grassland to shrubland-grassland and shrubland, and it appears that Upland Pipit cannot tolerate even the early stages of this transition. The same decline has occurred with other open-country specialists such as Chinese Francolin.

OCCURRENCE

According to Herklots (1953) one was heard singing at Tai Mo Shan on 23 June 1950, and this appears to be the first record in HK; however, it is unlikely to have been absent prior to this date given the lack of shrubland and woodland at that time. By the mid-1960s, it was known to occur at Castle Peak, Kowloon Peak (where it has not been recorded since 2012), Pat Sin Leng and on Lantau (Herklots 1967).

Although it occurs at low densities, the highest count made was of up to 15-20 in late August and early September 1983 on Sunset Peak, while ten males in song were noted there on 25 July 1977 and mid-May 1997.

There is no evidence of substantial movement, and little evidence that birds move down to lower elevations, apart from one trapped in shrubland at Kadoorie FBG in September 1996.

BREEDING

According to Herklots (1953) a nest with three eggs was photographed on Tai Mo Shan on 30 July 1950, the first year the species was reported in HK. A pair was observed carrying food to a nest on Kowloon Peak on 21 June 1975.

Herklots (1967) describes the nest as bulky, completely arched over, and lined with thin roots and hair, well concealed in grass. The eggs vary from white to grey finely or densely spotted with grey, black and lilac.

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

Rather a skulking species that adopts a horizontal posture when moving through the grass. Usually seen singly, and when flushed flies away low and fast. Has been observed feeding on small insects and their larvae.

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

Monotypic. Northern Pakistan and northwest India to Nepal and northeast India. Does not occur between there and south China, where it is present from the south coast north to the Yangtze valley, excluding Hainan and Taiwan (Liu and Chen 2020).

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend stable.