Rock Pipit - Anthus petrosus
A stocky pipit, larger and darker than Meadow Pipit. It is streaky olive-brown above and dirty white underneath with dark streaking especially to the flanks. Separated from Meadow Pipit by its dark legs and bill and the grey (rather than white) outer tail feathers
Rocky coastal shorelines around the UK as it hops, walks and runs foraging for food among the boulders. Birds are sometimes seen perched on prominent rocks. It breeds around the coast where there are rocky beaches, and most of the birds that breed in the UK are residents, with only the young birds dispersing once they become independent.
All year round. Some birds arrive here from Norway to spend the winter
35,650 breeding pairs
Rare passage migrant, commonest in autumn
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Rock Pipit, Eurasian Rock Pipit, European Rock Pipit
- Species group:
- bird
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Passeriformes
- Family:
- Motacillidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 7
- First record:
- 03/10/2003 (Tim Caldicott)
- Last record:
- 24/02/2025 (Messenger, Nigel)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
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