Anthus rufulus
Size: 15 – 16cm
Weight: 17 – 22g
Found: It is a resident (non-migratory) breeder in open scrub, grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines.
Description: 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.
Diet: It feeds principally on small insects but consumes larger beetles, tiny snails, worms etc, while walking on the ground, and may pursue insects like mosquitoes or termites in the air.
Comment: It builds its nest on the ground under a slight prominence, a tuft of grass, or at the edge of a bush. The nests are woven out of grass and leaves and are normally cup shaped. Exposed nests are sometimes domed or semi-domed, the long grass at the back and sides extending over the top. Nests are lined with finer grass or roots and sometimes with a little dry moss, bracken or other material at the base of the nest.
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