Hellmayr's Pipit
Anthus hellmayri
Uncommon pipit found in grasslands, dry rocky areas, and less frequently in low intensity agricultural habitats. It has a heavily streaked back with a white throat and pale belly. Note the lightly streaked breast and flanks. Similar to Short-billed Pipit, but lacks the white mustache and has streaky flanks. Sings a series of buzzy nasal notes perched or in flight.
Identification
Hellmayr's pipit is a medium-sized brown bird weighing 18.6g. It has pink legs and a light pink bill. Its back is boldly streaked and its breast and flanks are only faintly streaked. It can be confused with the similar-looking Short-billed pipit but its throat is white instead of streaked and it lacks the white submoustachial stripe. Eggs are oval in shape and white with brown speckles.
Taxonomy
Hellmayr's pipit was described by Ernst Hartert in 1909 who placed it in the genus Anthus. The bird is named after Austrian ornithologist, Carl Eduard Hellmayr. There are currently three recognized species:
- Scientific name
- Anthus hellmayri
- Authority
- Hartert, EJO, 1909
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Genus
- Anthus
Range and habitat
Hellmayr's pipit is found in three disjunct populations across the southern half of South America. It is found in the Andes from southern Peru, through Bolivia into northwestern Argentina, as well as in the Andes of southern Argentina and Chila. The eastern population (A. h. brasilianus) ranges from Espinhaço Range in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, south down into Uruguay and eastern Argentina, and west into the chaco of Paraguay. It occurs from sea level to 3,700 meters.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
It is year round in most of its range, with its breeding season being in the rainy season from September to April. Males are known to perform aerial displays for females during breeding season. The population in Chile and southern Argentina (A. h. dabbenei) is known to be migratory. They are mainly insectivores. Nests are cup-shaped with a grass dome built over top of it being roofed with dry stems. Nests are built on the ground in grass mounds. They have a maximum clutch size of five eggs. Both parents participate in the feeding of the fledglings.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Macaroni Penguin
Eudyptes chrysolophus
Medium-sized bulky penguin with a bulbous red bill and a dash of stiff orange “hair.” Disappointingly, named for the resemblance of its spiffy, “fashionable” crest to the hairstyle of fashionable youth, or “macaronis”, and not for the pasta-sauce-orange color of the crest itself. Similar to Southern Rockhopper Penguin, but note Macaroni’s larger size, much more heavy build, chunkier bill, and a droopier, more orange, crest. Breeds in noisy colonies on rocky islands, across a wide area of the Subantarctic and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Blyth's Rosefinch
Carpodacus grandis
A relatively large rosefinch with a heavy, pale bill. The male has a mottled-pink eyebrow and cheeks and dull pink underparts. The female is brownish overall with strong streaking and a pale, lightly streaked supercilium. Best told apart from other similar rosefinches by the combination of large size, large bill, and relatively short wings and tail. Feeds on the ground. Found in high montane regions in conifer forests, or above treeline. In winter, descends to gardens and groves.
White-quilled Bustard
Afrotis afraoides
The male is a striking, medium-sized, mostly dark bustard with a bold white cheek patch and a reddish bill. The female has a black belly and is elsewhere finely barred. In flight it has a conspicuous white window on both the upper and lower sides of the wing. Scattered individuals, sometimes associated in small groups, inhabit arid savanna and Karoo scrub. It singscalls a strident, ratcheting “kraak-kraak-kraak” which leads into a maniacal “raa-cha-ka-ka-ka....cha-ka-ka-ka” display as the male flies around 20–30 m above the ground, with legs dangling. In flight, Black Bustard’s lack of large white wing patches separates it from the similar White-quilled Bustard.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.