Species:

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)

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Length (cm):
11-11
17-17
Wingspan (cm):
20-23
24-29
Weight (gram):
11-14
19-27
Size group:
Sparrow-size
Warbler-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Small and compact, green and yellow bird. Smaller than Linnet and Siskin, with heavily streaked flanks, and stubby, deep and grey bill. Rump yellow in adults, but immature birds lack yellow tones in plumage altogether. Wing-bars narrow and much less marked than in Siskin, forehead in males bright yellow. Fairly long-winged with deeply forked tail. Flight light and bouncing. Song-flight of male characteristic, with butterfly-like gliding and slow-motion wing-beats.

Sound:

Song a hectic, jingling, continuous trill, like the pouring of broken glass. The highest notes are constantly modulated to form vague motifs. Timbre comparable to Corn Bunting. Ringing trill also used as contact call, with slightly falling pitch "trrilrlitlitlit". Alarm call a short, redpoll-like "weee-eeet", with an accented high-pitched middle part.

Contact call, song:

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See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Easy to identify when seen in mountainous habitat where Rock Pipit does not occur, but harder when occasionally seen at the coast where both species may be present. Told from Rock Pipit by: Contrasting, double wing-bars, unstreaked belly (and only modestly streaked flanks), brownish rump, broad supercilium, paler underwing and pure white outer tail feathers. Summer plumage with more strongly coloured buff or pinkish underparts and greyer upperparts, but difficult to identify when plumage worn.

Sound:

Similar to Rock Pipit. Song slightly more melodious, often with Tree Pipit like glissandi at end of phrase. Contact call sharper and more drawn.

Song:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:Betty van Middelkoop, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Jarek Matusiak, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Silhouette Group:
Sparrow-like
Silhouette
Wagtail/pipit-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file