where do we see the birdspatile
Answers
Answer:It’s that time of the year when the first few winter migrants begin to trickle in. But for those who are terrified of identifying pipits, there is still some time to go before the confusing species arrive! Only one pipit species is resident across most parts of the country and that is the Paddyfield Pipit, which also makes this an excellent time of the year to familiarise oneself with the most common pipit of the region.
Note: Depending on where you are, be wary of other pipit species that are found in the summer. These are:
Long-billed Pipit – The nominate race breeds in rocky outcrops and habitats of peninsular India while the travancoriensis race breeds in the higher altitudes of the Western Ghats in Kerala. The race jerdoni breeds in the higher Himalayas.
Nilgiri Pipit – The pipit endemic to the Western Ghats breeds in the shola grasslands of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Upland Pipit – This bird breeds in the western Himalayas, across a fairly large altitudinal range and in open grassland and scrub habitat.
Rosy Pipit – A distinctive pipit that breeds in the high Himalayas, above the treeline.
Olive-backed Pipit – A pipit that is found commonly across the Himalayas and across a large altitudinal range in orchards, open forests, etc.
Tree Pipit – A pipit with a breeding population in the high Himalayas.
—
For almost every birder, pipits tend to pose a perplexing problem. In the winters especially, the ubiquitous Paddyfield Pipit (which can be seen in dry fields, wet fields, marshes, farmland, shola grasslands, parks and gardens, etc) exists alongside the wintering Tawny, Blyth’s and Richard’s Pipits – all of which can look like each other!
The Paddyfield Pipit happens to be a bird of varied plumages and markings, and also carries a fairly impressive repertoire of sounds. This is why it is one of those birds we often mistake for something more “unlikely and exciting”, such as the pipits mentioned above.
However, June to August presents a great opportunity for all birders to go out and acquaint themselves with this charming species to get a hold of some of the features that can help tell it apart from its congeners when the winter migrants arrive again.