Pipit of 13.5 to 15 cm. The head is blackish brown, with a yellow-buff supercilium, a thin dark moustache and a black spot on the cheek. The back is blackish brown with golden-ochre feather edges, giving a boldly streaked look. The throat is cream, the breast golden to orange with brown streaks and the belly whitish and unstreaked. The legs are yellow-brown to reddish. It lives in open, treeless fields and grasslands, and seems to favor areas regrowing after a burn or lightly grazed. It is Endangered in Argentina (MAyDS and Aves Argentinas, 2017) and Vulnerable worldwide (IUCN). It is not the Yellowish Pipit (Anthus chii).
Behaviour
It does not migrate, though it seems to move somewhat with the weather. It feeds on small invertebrates on the ground. It breeds roughly between September and January: the male performs a display flight, hovering about 25 m up and spiraling down. The nest is a cup of plant material set on the ground beside a grass tussock.
How and when to see it
Breeds from September to January, when the male performs his display flight. There are records in the Esteros del Iberá and in the Cambyretá Conservation Unit. It is rare and threatened: look for it in open grassland, without approaching where a nest may be.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where ochre-breasted pipit has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where ochre-breasted pipit lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Reserva Estero Camba Trapo
Private nature reserve of Ecoposada del Estero, on the Camba Trapo road. One of the…★ 5.0 - Excursiones Yetapá (Eduardo Alegre)
Excursions in the Iberá based in San Miguel, run by licensed guide Eduardo (Gualo)…★ 5.0 - Cabalgata Cintia
Horseback rides around Carlos Pellegrini.★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameOchre-breasted Pipit
- Scientific nameAnthus nattereri
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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