Striped pipit

The striped pipit (Anthus lineiventris) is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae, which is native to Africa southwards of the equator.

Striped pipit
The nominate subspecies in Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden, Gauteng
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Motacillidae
Genus:	Anthus
Species:	A. lineiventris
Binomial name
Anthus lineiventris Sundevall, 1850

Range and habitat

It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, DRC, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is rocky areas in dry to mesic savanna.^[1]

Taxonomy and systematics

The striped pipit forms a species complex with the African rock pipit.^[2]

Subspecies

There are two subspecies:^[3]

• A. l. stygium Clancey, 1952 – Angola, Kenya, DRC, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa
• A. l. lineiventris Sundevall, 1851 – Botswana, South Africa and Eswatini

Description

The nominate subspecies in Ithala Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

It is a large pipit, ranging from 17 to 18 centimeters in length and weighing 31-37 grams. The wing coverts have yellow-green edges, and the underparts are olive brown with dark brown streaking.^[2]

Voice

A loud, penetrating, thrush-like song, uttered from a rock or perch.^[2]

Diet

It feeds on insects and other arthropods, particularly grasshoppers.^[2][3]