Photo: Alpsdake / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Olive-backed Pipit
Anthus hodgsoni
Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) is a member of the Motacillidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 21.3 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 hodgsoni
Where it lives
Western Russia to Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Kuril Is. (eastern Russia), northern Korean Pen. and northern, central Japan; disjunctly in Himalayas to east-central China
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.3 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 Olive-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 Olive-backed Pipit is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) is a member of the Motacillidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL w Russia to Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Kuril Is. (e Russia), n Korean Pen. and n, c Japan; disjunctly in Himalayas to ec China.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.3 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 14.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Olive-backed Pipit?
The Olive-backed Pipit is a small bird that weighs around 21.3 g.
Where does the Olive-backed Pipit live?
The Olive-backed Pipit is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL w Russia to Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Kuril Is. (e Russia), n Korean Pen. and n, c Japan; disjunctly in Himalayas to ec China, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Olive-backed Pipit belong to?
The Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) belongs to the Motacillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Olive-backed Pipit eat?
The Olive-backed Pipit is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Olive-backed Pipit migrate?
The Olive-backed Pipit is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Olive-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 Olive-backed Pipit make?
1 real field recording of the Olive-backed Pipit — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Olive-backed Pipit's range?
The Olive-backed Pipit has a mapped global range of about 14.1 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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