Olive-backed Pipit

Has vertical stripes on its belly.

Scientific name	Anthus hodgsoni
English name	Olive-backed Pipit
Japanese name	便追
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Motacillidae
Genus	Anthus
Species	hodgsoni
Full length	16 cm
Distribution	Breeds in areas north of Shikoku

Olive-backed Pipit Characteristics and Morphology

A greenish-brown bird of the family Motacillidae. It is slightly smaller than a wagtail. Males and females are the same color.
It has white superciliary and malar stripes. There is also a white spot behind the ear coverts. The iris is black. The base of the bill is pinkish-red, and the tip of the bill is blackish. The upperparts towards the tail are brownish. The wings are darker brown. The belly is white with vertical stripes running from the throat. The tail feathers do not appear as long as those of a wagtail. The legs are pinkish-red.
The white spot behind the ear coverts is a key point for distinguishing it from the similar Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni).

Song

It flies while singing "twee-twee." Also, the male sings a rapid "cho-cho-cho" or "pee-pee."

Olive-backed Pipit Ecology

Habitat

Inhabits forests, farmlands adjacent to forests, and grasslands.

Food

Eats insects, spiders, and plant seeds.

Olive-backed Pipit Photos

Olive-backed Pipit Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

Vertical stripes run on the white belly.

It was searching for food on the ground in the shade.

Olive-backed Pipit Behavior

It may wag its tail while walking on the ground. It also perches on tree branches, walks on tree branches, and makes movements that are somewhat un-wagtail-like. It forms territories. When it feels threatened, it flies up and perches on a tree branch, exhibiting behavior such as walking along the branch.

Olive-backed Pipit Information

Naming

The specific name "hodgsoni" is derived from Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British naturalist.

Olive-backed Pipit Found Locations

Within a park in Hachiōji

I found it in a field within a park in Hachiōji. I seemed to have approached it without noticing it, and it warily perched on a tree branch, where I photographed it. Here, I was able to film the Olive-backed Pipit's "walking on a branch".

It seemed to be in a pair, and after a while, they landed on the ground and began searching for food together.
The park where I found it was close to the park where I had previously photographed Buff-bellied Pipits (Anthus rubescens), so I was able to compare the differences in behavior between the two species. Since I have not observed them many times, this is just an impression, but while Buff-bellied Pipits move in groups of about a dozen from bright ground to ground, Olive-backed Pipits seem to move between the ground and trees in pairs.