Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Plain-backed Pipit
Anthus leucophrys
Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys) — 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 Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys) is a member of the Motacillidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 25 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 Anthus
- Species leucophrys
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Plain-backed 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 Plain-backed Pipit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys) belongs to the Motacillidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 6.9 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 9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Plain-backed Pipit?
The Plain-backed Pipit is a small bird that weighs around 25 g.
Where does the Plain-backed Pipit live?
The Plain-backed Pipit is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Plain-backed Pipit belong to?
The Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys) belongs to the Motacillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Plain-backed Pipit eat?
The Plain-backed Pipit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Plain-backed Pipit migrate?
The Plain-backed Pipit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Plain-backed 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 Plain-backed Pipit make?
1 real field recording of the Plain-backed Pipit — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Plain-backed Pipit's range?
The Plain-backed Pipit has a mapped global range of about 9 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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