Anthus rufulus
Silhouette: bird_biochemist · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The paddyfield pipit or Oriental pipit (Anthus rufulus) is a small passerine bird in the pipit and wagtail family. It is a resident (non-migratory) breeder in open scrub, grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines. Although among the few breeding pipits in the Asian region, identification becomes difficult in winter when several other species migrate into the region. The taxonomy of the species is complex and has undergone considerable changes.
This is a large pipit at 15 cm, but is otherwise an undistinguished looking bird, mainly streaked grey-brown above and pale below with breast streaking. It is long legged with a long tail and a long dark bill. Sexes are similar. Summer and winter plumages are similar. Young birds are more richly coloured below than adults and have the pale edges to the feathers of the upper parts more conspicuous with more prominent spotting on the breast. The population waitei from north-western India and Pakistan is pale while the population malayensis from the Western Ghats is larger, darker and more heavily streaked with the nominate rufulus intermediate.
In winter some care must be taken to distinguish this from... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vasai-Virar | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Asansol | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Indore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Kathmandu | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 5 | Kalyan-Dombivli | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Ludhiana | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Berhampore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Ranchi | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Raipur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Nashik | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Pipit sighting in Varanasi on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 64th most-seen of the 92 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, July and October–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Pipit in Varanasi on a given day, against under 5% in January–March, May–June and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oriental Pipit sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
42nd of 72
Of the 72 cities where we can rate Oriental Pipit sightings, Varanasi ranks 42nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Vasai-Virar (India, about 40%), Asansol (India, about 30%) and Indore (India, about 20%).
Same family: Motacillidae
The closest relatives of the Oriental Pipit that you can see in Varanasi (family Motacillidae, Wagtails and Pipits) are White Wagtail (about 20%) and White-browed Wagtail (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oriental Pipit is recorded against all the birds logged in Varanasi (13 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
