Pipits Help: Singapore

[laujs]

Hi All,

I saw two pipits together and decided to photograph them to gather photos of the resident pipit, paddyfield pipit, which is also the only pipit found in Singapore.

Photographs, p41 and p42, show one of the individual, pipit 1.
Photographs, p51 and p52, show the other individual, pipit 2.
(Pardon the blur photos)

p41: Black squarish median-covert with a thick white fringe. Short tail in comparison to tail. Lacks eyestripe.
p42: Long distinct crown streaks. Thick streaks on mantle. Pale fringe on outertail feather. Whitish "wingbars"

p51 and p52: Shorter tail compared to legs. Curved toenails. (Left toenail is longer than right) Distinct black malar stripe. Indistinct lore. Short buffish supercilium, starting from eye and ending at ear covert. Short streaks on crown and mantle. Squarish black median-coverts with obvious buff fringes.

Prior to these pipits, I saw another pipit, pipit 3, perched on top of a headstone. (see photographs p31, p32, p33)
- Unlike the aforementioned pair of pipits, this pipit had a longer tail relative to its legs and doesn't show obvious the buff fringes around the median coverts.
- Additionally, while the crown is streaky, its hindneck and mantle are not.
- Compared to the other two pipits, this pipit has a straighter hind-toenail
- Clean whitish lores
- Yellow bill base
- Bill is pinkish with a sharp tapered tip. (Pipit 1 and 2: Bulge near the tip, giving an impression that bill is stout and blunt.)
- Distinct long black malar and moustachial stripe

Due to pipit 3, I suspect that pipit 1 and 2 are blyth's pipits but would need the experts to verify.

Cheers,
Js
Singapore

[laujs]

More of the photos.

[adriaens]

Hi JS,

all three birds are Paddyfield Pipits. At this time of the year, Blyth's would show much more prominent white wingstripes, and more contrasting streaking on the mantle/scapulars. Blyth's only rarely shows such brown spots or streaks on the rear flanks as in these birds.
I cannot readily agree with your assessment of the median coverts; to me, the centra of the moulted median coverts (with buff fringe) look triangular and pointed, not squarish, and therefore unlike Blyth's.
On photo 51, note also the dark spot in front of eye.

[laujs]

Hi Adriaens,

Thanks for your reply. I have up the contrast of p42 to p421 and p41 to p411 and would like you to take a second look. To me, the white wingbar is obvious and there is obvious streaks on its mantle and scapular although not as obvious as in this photo, http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=2&action=searchresult&Bird_ID=2092&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1. However, I further increasing the contrast would make the streaks more obvious and, at the same, wash out the whites as shown in the link.

Additionally, I have attached a photo of a typical paddyfield pipit, pp1, seen in Singapore on 17th February for your comparison. The streaks on the crown, mantle and scapular is short and discontinuous for the paddyfield pipit. However, pipit 1 shows thick long blackish streaks, more obvious in the centre.

In no way am I saying that the birds must be blyth's pipits. But, having seen many paddyfield pipits and without knowledge of both richard's and blyth's pipits, I need some help to clarify the atypical paddyfield pipits. Hope you understand.

I found pipit 1 atypical because it has a rather short bill and tail. Also, the bird has different-looking streaks on the crown and mantle, not the usual rounded short streaks. Seeing some signs of whitish wingbars, I was wondering if it may be a blyth's. Since pipit 2 came close to pipit 1 before flying off separately, I presumed that both are the same species though pipit 1 looks different from pipit 2. Even the bill colour looks different!

Btw, could you share with me how to id a richard's pipit besides hearing its call or using size comparison.

Thanks.
Js

[CAU]

I agree that the birds are Paddyfield Pipits. A Blyth's Pipit would generally have:
-more squarish centres to the median coverts
-a weaker bill
-a weaker and shorter supercilium
-shorter hind toe claws
-a more strongly streaked back (with three-coloured feathers on the back: yellowish inner edge, blackish centre and brownish outer edge)
-paler lores

A Richard's Pipit is more difficult to separate from Paddyfield Pipit, but one would usually have a longer tail and lack the dark loral spot.

[gandytron]

Hi All,

I saw two pipits together and decided to photograph them to gather photos of the resident pipit, paddyfield pipit, which is also the only pipit found in Singapore.

Photographs, p41 and p42, show one of the individual, pipit 1.
Photographs, p51 and p52, show the other individual, pipit 2.
(Pardon the blur photos)

p41: Black squarish median-covert with a thick white fringe. Short tail in comparison to tail. Lacks eyestripe.
p42: Long distinct crown streaks. Thick streaks on mantle. Pale fringe on outertail feather. Whitish "wingbars"

p51 and p52: Shorter tail compared to legs. Curved toenails. (Left toenail is longer than right) Distinct black malar stripe. Indistinct lore. Short buffish supercilium, starting from eye and ending at ear covert. Short streaks on crown and mantle. Squarish black median-coverts with obvious buff fringes.

Prior to these pipits, I saw another pipit, pipit 3, perched on top of a headstone. (see photographs p31, p32, p33)
- Unlike the aforementioned pair of pipits, this pipit had a longer tail relative to its legs and doesn't show obvious the buff fringes around the median coverts.
- Additionally, while the crown is streaky, its hindneck and mantle are not.
- Compared to the other two pipits, this pipit has a straighter hind-toenail
- Clean whitish lores
- Yellow bill base
- Bill is pinkish with a sharp tapered tip. (Pipit 1 and 2: Bulge near the tip, giving an impression that bill is stout and blunt.)
- Distinct long black malar and moustachial stripe

Due to pipit 3, I suspect that pipit 1 and 2 are blyth's pipits but would need the experts to verify.

Cheers,
Js
Singapore

Js,

I agree with other posters that these are all Paddyfields.

David Bakewell has some nice shots of a Blyth's he picked up in Malaysia, see this (http://digdeep1962.blogspot.com/2010/01/7th-january-2010-chuping-sugar-cane.html) post on his blog.

Best wishes

Dave

[laujs]

Hi All,

Thanks for all your help. I am trying to be a more "active" birdwatcher, relying less on the checklists but more on the knowledge of birds. Thus, if I appear to be "forcing" a paddyfield pipit into blyth's pipit, hope you understand that I am only doing so because of my inexperience.

Thanks.
Js