The meadow pipit is a small passerine bird, which breeds in much of the Palearctic, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; an isolated population also occurs in the Caucasus Mountains. It is migratory over most of its range, wintering in southern Europe, North Africa, and south-western Asia, but is resident year-round in western Europe, though even here many birds move to the coast or lowlands in winter.
Meadow pipit
A meadow pipit perched on a fishing net
Nest with eggs
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae. The genus is widespread, occurring across most of the world, except the driest deserts, rainforest and the mainland of Antarctica.
Pipit
The Australasian pipits of New Zealand may represent a separate species from those found elsewhere.
The plumage colour of the long-billed pipit is typical of the genus, although this subspecies lacks the extensive streaking many other pipits, including other subspecies, have on the breast
Berthelot's pipit is restricted to the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Canary Islands
