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Anthus rubescens

(Tunstall, 1771)

American Pipit

G5Secure Found in 125 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1341960
Element CodeABPBM02090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyMotacillidae
GenusAnthus
Other Common Names
American pipit (EN) Bisbita de Agua (ES) Pipit d'Amérique (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.
Taxonomic Comments
Anthus japonicus was formerly considered conspecific with A. rubescens, but separated based on differences in plumage (especially basic plumage), bare parts coloration, genetics, and flight calls commensurate with those between other sister species in Anthus (Doniol-Valcroze et al. 2023; also see Garner et al. 2015) (AOS 2024).

Formerly regarded as conspecific with Asian A. spinoletta (see AOU 1989). Populations on Asian and North American sides of Beringia exhibit mtDNA differentiation consistent with species-level distinctness (Zink et al. 1995); because sample sizes were small, Zink et al. did not recommend a formal taxonomic change.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-06
Change Date1996-12-03
Edition Date1994-10-20
Edition AuthorsHendricks, D.P., and J.D. Reichel
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Many occurrences, large numbers and few known threats.
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: in Arctic and alpine regions of North America, as well as on Greenland. WINTERS: in North America primarily coastally from British Columbia and New York south through southern U.S. Its core nonbreeding range extends south to the southern tip of Baja California Sur, central Oaxaca, and central Veracruz, Mexico.
Occurrences Comments
Hundreds to thousands.
Threat Impact Comments
Breeding areas in alpine sites may be threatened by widespread grazing.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: seacoasts, beaches, mudflats, wet meadows, sandy areas and cultivated fields (AOU 1983). Nests in tundra, rocky talus slopes, and alpine meadows. Nests on the ground under cover of or next to tussock or hummock, or hidden near a rock or bank recess. The nest is a shallow scrape that may contain nest material.

Reproduction

Breeding begins early to mid-June (Harrison 1978). Female incubates 4-5, sometimes 3-7, eggs for about 14 days. Nestlings are altricial. Young are tended by both adults, leave nest 14-15 days after hatching (Terres 1980).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousAlpineTundraSand/duneBare rock/talus/screeCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
KentuckySNAYes
MontanaS4BYes
OregonS4Yes
NevadaS3B,S4NYes
VirginiaSNRNYes
KansasSNAYes
West VirginiaS3NYes
North CarolinaS4NYes
New YorkSNRNYes
MissouriSNAYes
TennesseeS4NYes
North DakotaSNAYes
New MexicoS3B,S5NYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
ColoradoS4BYes
South DakotaSNAYes
IndianaSNAYes
New HampshireS2BYes
MaineS1B,S3NYes
OhioSNAYes
South CarolinaS4Yes
District of ColumbiaS4NYes
FloridaSNRNYes
WashingtonS3B,S3NYes
MarylandS3NYes
UtahS4B,S3NYes
WisconsinSNAYes
ArizonaS2B,S5NYes
MississippiSNAYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
AlabamaS5NYes
IllinoisSNAYes
IowaSNAYes
OklahomaSNRNYes
ArkansasS4NYes
PennsylvaniaSNAYes
TexasS4Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
New JerseyS4NYes
IdahoS3BYes
Navajo NationS3NYes
MichiganSNRNYes
MassachusettsS4NYes
DelawareSNAYes
LouisianaS5NYes
WyomingS2BYes
Rhode IslandSNAYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
VermontSNAYes
AlaskaS5BYes
MinnesotaSNAYes
CanadaN5B,N4N
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS3B,S4MYes
AlbertaS4BYes
New BrunswickS4MYes
SaskatchewanS5MYes
British ColumbiaS5B,SNRNYes
Prince Edward IslandSUMYes
QuebecS5BYes
Yukon TerritoryS5BYes
OntarioS4BYes
Northwest TerritoriesSUYes
LabradorS5BYes
Nova ScotiaS4MYes
ManitobaS3BYes
NunavutS5BYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (125)
Alaska (21)
AreaForestAcres
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
Hoonah SoundTongass National Forest79,764
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
KartaTongass National Forest52,117
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Mansfield PeninsulaTongass National Forest54,991
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North KruzofTongass National Forest33,146
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
Soda BayTongass National Forest78,091
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Burro CanyonKaibab National Forest19,928
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
California (22)
AreaForestAcres
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
Caples CreekEldorado National Forest17,854
DardanellesEldorado National Forest8,110
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Hall Natural AreaInyo National Forest5,236
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
Rock Creek WestInyo National Forest3,626
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
Tioga LakeInyo National Forest829
Tragedy - Elephants BackEldorado National Forest20,866
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
Whisky CreekInyo National Forest865
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Colorado (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bristol HeadRio Grande NF46,087
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Pole Mountain / Finger MesaRio Grande NF43,863
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
Montana (14)
AreaForestAcres
Allan Mountain (01946)Bitterroot National Forest104,184
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Gallatin FringeGallatin National Forest51,571
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
Line Creek PlateauCuster National Forest24,825
Lost Water Canyon RnaCuster National Forest561
Middle Mtn. / Tobacco RootsBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest96,487
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
Mt. Hefty Ra 1481Flathead National Forest12,938
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
Proposed Line Creek PrnaCuster National Forest389
Tuchuck Ra 1482Flathead National Forest17,730
Nevada (4)
AreaForestAcres
Charleston - CarpenterHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest17,828
Pine Grove NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest8,749
Rose - GalenaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,711
Ruby - Cold CkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,339
New Hampshire (2)
AreaForestAcres
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
PecosCarson National Forest13,436
Oregon (6)
AreaForestAcres
Hebo 1aSiuslaw National Forest13,930
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Mt. JeffersonDeschutes National Forest2,282
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
North PaulinaDeschutes National Forest19,670
South PaulinaDeschutes National Forest9,074
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Utah (8)
AreaForestAcres
0401002Ashley National Forest36,113
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
LakesWasatch-Cache National Forest121,967
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Washington (16)
AreaForestAcres
Black CanyonOkanogan National Forest9,681
ChambersGifford Pinchot National Forest2,006
Glacier Peak JMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest26,482
Goat Rocks AdjWenatchee National Forest6,108
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
Grassy TopIdaho Panhandle National Forests13,485
Harvey CreekColville National Forest10,140
Liberty BellOkanogan National Forest108,495
Long SwampOkanogan National Forest66,344
Mt. Baker MaMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest24,847
Mt. Baker NorthMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest16,873
Mt. Baker WestMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest25,390
SawtoothOkanogan National Forest122,194
Silver StarGifford Pinchot National Forest7,779
TeanawayWenatchee National Forest72,849
TiffanyOkanogan National Forest22,045
Wyoming (19)
AreaForestAcres
Beartooth Proposed WildernessShoshone National Forest16,837
Cloud Peak ContiguousBighorn National Forest113,757
Devils CanyonBighorn National Forest37,416
French CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest5,928
Horse Creek MesaBighorn National Forest77,808
Libby FlatsMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest11,107
Little BighornBighorn National Forest133,949
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
ReefShoshone National Forest16,817
Rock CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest18,874
Snowy RangeMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest29,660
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
South ForkShoshone National Forest64,903
Spread Creek - Gros Ventre RiverBridger-Teton National Forest166,097
Togwotee PassShoshone National Forest7,344
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
References (19)
  1. American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1989. Thirty-seventh supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American birds. Auk 106:532-538.
  4. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  5. Bent, A.C. 1950. Life histories of North American wagtails, shrikes, vireos, and their allies. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 197. Washington, D.C.
  6. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
  7. Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
  8. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  9. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
  10. Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
  11. Oberholser, H.C. 1974. The bird life of Texas. 2 vols. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin.
  12. Parker III, T. A., D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases for neotropical birds. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  13. Poole, A. F. and F. B. Gill. 1992. The birds of North America. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. and The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.
  14. Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 511 pp.
  15. Sibley, C. G., and J. E. Ahlquist. 1990. Phylogeny and classification of birds: a study in molecular evolution. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven. xxiii + 976 pp.
  16. Sibley, D. A. 2000a. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  17. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  18. Verbeek, N. A. and P. Hendricks. 1994. American pipet (ANTHUS RUBESCENS). In The Birds of North America, No. 95. A. Poole and F. Gill, (eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.
  19. Zink, R. M., S. Rohwer, A. V. Andreev, and D. L. Dittman. 1995. Trans-Beringia comparisons of mitochondrial DNA differentiation in birds. Condor 97:639-649.