The Tree Pipit 



England and Scotland, but becomes scarcer in the north. 

 It has not yet been known to visit Ireland. It may be 

 heard singing its pretty little song near the outskirts of 

 woods, or in fields bordered by trees. This is usually uttered 

 on the wing when, having sprung some distance into the air, 

 it descends with fluttering wings and open tail to the same 

 perch on the top of the tree from which it started. Most of 

 its food is sought on the ground, and consists almost entirely 

 of insects. The nest is placed in the middle of a field, or 

 more preferably in some bank or railway cutting, and is com- 

 posed of roots and bents with a little moss and lined with finer 

 bents and hair. The eggs are generally six in number and 

 vary considerably, the commonest variety being greenish 

 white with bold blurred markings of dark brown at their 

 larger end, another variety resembles this in markings but 

 is suffused with reddish, while a third variety is uniformly 

 and closely mottled with reddish brown. 



In appearance, though not in habits, this bird somewhat 

 resembles a lark. The upper parts are sandy brown with 

 dark brown streaks, the wing coverts darker with con- 

 spicuous pale edging to the median ones. Chin white, 

 breast and flanks buff with darker markings, rest of under 

 parts white. Tail feathers dark brown except the two outer 

 pairs, which show a considerable amount of white. Hind 

 claw short and curved. The sexes are alike, but the female 

 is slightly smaller. The young are rather more spotted. 

 Length 6 in. ; wing 33 in. 



Common in England and south of Scotland, rather 

 scarcer in Wales and rare in North Scotland. Does not 

 visit Ireland. 



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