South Georgia pipit
| South Georgia pipit | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Superorder | Passerimorphae |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Sub-order | Passeri |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Passeroidea |
| Family | Motacillidae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Anthus |
| Species Information | |
| Species | A. antarcticus |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | 6,000-8,000 (2016 est.)[1] |
| Conservation status | Near threatened[2] |
The South Georgia pipit (Anthus antarcticus) is a species of passerine bird of the family Motacillidae, and found on several islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Description
The South Georgia pipit is small, about 6.7 inches long, with a wingspan of 9.2 inches, and weighs 1.3 ounces. It is medium-brown in color above and marked with tan to red-brown stripes that will appear to have a slight wash of gold. Below it is lighter in color with fewer stripes. Primary and secondary flight feathers are edged with light tan or cream; the tail is blackish-brown with grayish margins. The beak is black and slender, the legs and feet pink, and bear long claws. Juveniles are darker, especially from below.
Range and habitat
The bird is found on the island of South Georgia and 20 small coastal islets in the immediate vicinity; as these islands are considered part of the Antarctic peninsula, the South Georgia pipit is the only passerine bird native to Antarctica. It is found within tussac grassland (Poa flabellata), near streams, ponds, inland pools, and rocky outcrops.
