By Magnus Robb, Lukas Pelikan & The Sound Approach

Meadow Pipit

Migrating only as far as southern Europe and North Africa, Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis is under no great pressure to travel at night. An abundant migrant by day, it is surprisingly infrequent at night. Nevertheless, under certain circumstances we may hear it in larger numbers.

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Meadow Pipit 
Anthus pratensis
Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 05:36, 18 October 2017. Flight calls of several nocturnal migrants near the lighthouse.

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One October night at Sumburgh Head, Shetland, a steady stream of Meadow Pipits, eventually numbering in the hundreds, started to appear at midnight on a strong easterly, having set out across the North Sea from Norway at dusk. Most of the recordings here are from that one night.

Meadow Pipits illustrate a tendency that is also apparent in other pipits, as well as in wagtails Motacilla. While migrants during the day use a wide range of call variants including very high-pitched ones, at night the variation is more limited, the majority of calls being medium to lower-pitched, multi-note variants.

Identification

sip-sip-sip

  • quick, descending series of short, rising, sibilant notes
  • most calls have two or more notes, with a median of three (in a sample of 40 calls, 13 calls had 2 notes, 11 calls had 3, 6 calls had 4, 5 calls had 1, 2 calls had 5 and 2 calls had 8 notes)
  • greater part of each note rising in pitch, either in a simple concave curve or incorporating one or two sharp angles
  • final part sharply descending, showing as a ‘hindleg’
  • often a v-shaped kink in the rising part of the call; no modulations present capable of giving a buzzing timbre, only one or two oscillations in pitch giving slightly uneven, lisping quality
  • maximum frequency 5.3 – 7.5 kHz (mean 6.3 kHz; n = 40)
  • note durations 53 – 74 ms (90% range; median 61 ms; n = 118); duration similar from first to last note; gaps between notes roughly one note length

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a) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra, Portugal, 06:07, 27 October 2019. Three-note and two-note flight calls of a nocturnal migrant; sonagram shows first call. Background: other individuals. 191027.MR.060705.02

b) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 05:30, 18 October 2017. Three-note and single-note flight calls of more than one nocturnal migrant. 171018.MR.053030.02

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c) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 06:13, 18 October 2017. Various calls of nocturnal migrants passing the lighthouse. Sonagram shows first, 3-note call. 171018.MR.061338.02

d) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 06:50, 18 October 2017. Various calls of nocturnal migrants. Sonagram shows second, single-note call. 171018.MR.065003.02

e) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 06:19, 18 October 2017. Two-note calls of a nocturnal migrant. Sonagram shows first call. 171018.MR.061900.02

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f) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 05:12, 18 October 2017. Two-note and three-note calls of a nocturnal migrant. Sonagram shows second call. 171018.MR.051230d.02

g) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 05:12, 18 October 2017. Four-note call of a nocturnal migrant. 171018.MR.051230b.02

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h) Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland, 05:39, 18 October 2017. Five-note call followed by several single-note calls of a nocturnal migrant. Sonagram shows first call. 171018.MR.053900.01

Effects of recording quality

  • In best recordings, weak fundamental appears at exactly half the frequency of the most prominent band, which is in fact the second harmonic.
  • In poor recordings the ‘hindleg’ appears shorter or disappears.

Similar NFCs

  • Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos has NFCs that also consist of a descending series of rising notes, in a similar pitch range, even ending with a similarly long ‘hindleg’. In practice, however, they sound very different, having a purer timbre. This is largely due to the simpler shape of the rising slope, which lacks the kinks usually evident in Meadow Pipit NFCs, and is usually either straight or slightly convex.
  • Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus has NFCs that are usually given singly. In addition they are higher-pitched, with individual notes up to twice as long or more, and shallower and more numerous modulations near the highest point, instead of the 1-3 ‘kinks’ of Meadow Pipits. The overall rising slope is convex, rising steeply at the start and leveling out near the top, whereas Meadow shows an overall concave shape.
  • Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta has NFCs that are usually given singly. The individual notes are longer with a convex rising slope, rising steeply at the start and leveling out near the top, whereas Meadow shows an overall concave shape. Water shows numerous, fairly deep modulations near the highest point, instead of the 1-3 ‘kinks’ of Meadow Pipit. These give Water Pipit a coarser timbre than Meadow Pipit or the higher-pitched Rock Pipit.

Where and when?

  • anywhere: over towns, forests, mountains, offshore
  • mainly diurnal, but sometimes recorded at night
  • can be expected at any hour: bias of activity towards second half of night

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Maximum estimates of calling individuals per night: low, medium and high activity. See introduction for a full explanation.