Photo: thibaudaronson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden Pipit
Tmetothylacus tenellus
Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus) is a member of the Motacillidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 20.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Motacillidae Wagtails, Pipits
- Genus Tmetothylacus
- Species tenellus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Golden Pipit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Golden Pipit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus) is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Somalia to se South Sudan and c Tanzania.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.2 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden Pipit?
The Golden Pipit is a small bird that weighs around 20.1 g.
Where does the Golden Pipit live?
The Golden Pipit is found across Africa with a range covering AF Somalia to se South Sudan and c Tanzania, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Golden Pipit belong to?
The Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus) belongs to the Motacillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Golden Pipit eat?
The Golden Pipit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Golden Pipit migrate?
The Golden Pipit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Golden Pipit endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Golden Pipit make?
1 real field recording of the Golden Pipit — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Golden Pipit's range?
The Golden Pipit has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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