Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

Normally a Meadow Pipit territory has three zones. The inner zone is like a house, where the birds place the nest and spend most of their time; the middle zone is like their garden, where they find most of their food. Outside this is a much larger zone that is sometimes shared by neighbours. It is equivalent to the shops, where the birds go foraging further afield when under pressure to provide for their young. The inner two zones form a core area which is defended vigorously. In one British study the average size of this core was 2.18 Ha.

As with all pipits, the Meadow Pipit performs a spirited, essentially stereotyped song-flight for the purpose of proclaiming ownership. It rises from the ground with rapid, fluttering wing-beats and then, sometimes after a short excursion, it glides gently to ground with wings held firm, tail raised and legs dangling. During this flight it utters a song of considerable tedium, endlessly repeating short notes like bleeps from an alarm-clock, although at least they change pitch a bit. Overall the displaying bird may resemble a paper aeroplane, powered by clockwork.

When song-flights fail to prevent intruders violating boundaries, owner-occupier Meadow Pipits quite naturally take umbrage. A song duel on the ground may follow, or the birds will ruffle their plumage and droop their wings while facing each other; they might even trample their feet, too, in irritation. If nothing is resolved the birds fight, sometimes flying up to 20 m as they peck and scratch with their feet, like flying Coots. Conflicts are quite common among Meadow Pipits, partly perhaps because these birds often nest at high density.

It is difficult to escape the impression that the Meadow Pipit is rather an aimless bird. Its foraging technique is simply to run or walk over the grass, pecking every so often for insects and small seeds, like a shopper without a list. It never does anything innovative, such as flying from a perch and snatching insects in flight, or turning objects over. It also has a weak and indecisive flight, sometimes being noticeably capricious about where it will land, changing its mind and direction several times before finally coming to ground. But, of course, this is only an impression, and the bird is an effective feeder and a capable flier – many of the northern populations are migratory.

The Meadow Pipit is the commonest of its kind in Western and Northern Europe. It prefers longer grass than other pipits, and occupies a wider range of habitats, including grassland, tundra, moorland, saltmarshes and certain types of arable or pastoral land.

When the wind blows hard and wild on the open terrain where Meadow Pipits live, there is sometimes a truce between the territory-holding male birds. If one individual holds a more sheltered patch of ground than the rest, he will, for once, tolerate a small band of neighbours taking refuge within his borders, without trying to evict them. But when the weather calms down tempers hot up again, and the birds return to their paranoid ways.

Normally a Meadow Pipit territory has three zones. The inner zone is like a house, where the birds place the nest and spend most of their time; the middle zone is like their garden, where they find most of their food. Outside this is a much larger zone that is sometimes shared by neighbours. It is equivalent to the shops, where the birds go foraging further afield when under pressure to provide for their young. The inner two zones form a core area which is defended vigorously. In one British study the average size of this core was 2.18 Ha.

As with all pipits, the Meadow Pipit performs a spirited, essentially stereotyped song-flight for the purpose of proclaiming ownership. It rises from the ground with rapid, fluttering wing-beats and then, sometimes after a short excursion, it glides gently to ground with wings held firm, tail raised and legs dangling. During this flight it utters a song of considerable tedium, endlessly repeating short notes like bleeps from an alarm-clock, although at least they change pitch a bit. Overall the displaying bird may resemble a paper aeroplane, powered by clockwork.

When song-flights fail to prevent intruders violating boundaries, owner-occupier Meadow Pipits quite naturally take umbrage. A song duel on the ground may follow, or the birds will ruffle their plumage and droop their wings while facing each other; they might even trample their feet, too, in irritation. If nothing is resolved the birds fight, sometimes flying up to 20 m as they peck and scratch with their feet, like flying Coots. Conflicts are quite common among Meadow Pipits, partly perhaps because these birds often nest at high density.

It is difficult to escape the impression that the Meadow Pipit is rather an aimless bird. Its foraging technique is simply to run or walk over the grass, pecking every so often for insects and small seeds, like a shopper without a list. It never does anything innovative, such as flying from a perch and snatching insects in flight, or turning objects over. It also has a weak and indecisive flight, sometimes being noticeably capricious about where it will land, changing its mind and direction several times before finally coming to ground. But, of course, this is only an impression, and the bird is an effective feeder and a capable flier – many of the northern populations are migratory.

The Meadow Pipit is the commonest of its kind in Western and Northern Europe. It prefers longer grass than other pipits, and occupies a wider range of habitats, including grassland, tundra, moorland, saltmarshes and certain types of arable or pastoral land.