Birds of Britain 



The feathers of the rump form, however, the most 

 distinctive character in this species ; they have dark centres 

 like those of the mantle, but in the Meadow Pipit, as we 

 pointed out above, these feathers are of a uniform olive 

 brown. Length 5*8 in. ; wing 3*5 in. 



THE TAWNY PIPIT 



Anthus campestris (Linnseus) 



The Tawny Pipit is a regular summer visitor to the 

 sand-dunes and arid wastes of Europe, breeding in some 

 numbers no farther from our shores than the north of France 

 and Holland. It winters in Africa. To England it has 

 only been a scarce straggler, single examples having been 

 obtained in autumn on our southern and eastern shores 

 from the Scilly Islands as far north as Yorkshire. During 

 the last year or two there is evidence that it may have 

 bred in Sussex, adult pairs of birds having remained about 

 the same spot during part of the summer till they were 

 shot. 



The general colour is pale sandy brown with dull darker 

 centres to the feathers. Two outer pairs of tail feathers 

 white with brown margins to their inner webs, rest of the 

 tail brown. Under parts warm buff, slightly striated with 

 brown on the breast and paler on the belly. Length 

 6 '5 in. ; wing 3*6 in. 



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