Hellmayr's pipit is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and pastureland.
Region
Southern Cone of South America
Typical Environment
Occupies open grass-dominated habitats including temperate pampas, puna and other high-altitude grasslands, and modified pastureland. It tolerates lightly grazed and mowed fields, airstrips, and road verges with short sward. In Andean regions it uses upland meadows and tussock grass near wetlands. It generally avoids dense shrublands and closed forests, favoring areas with scattered low vegetation and patches of bare ground.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 4200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named after the Austrian ornithologist Carl Eduard Hellmayr, this pipit is a ground-dwelling songbird of open grasslands. It performs characteristic parachuting display flights while singing during the breeding season. The prominent white outer tail feathers that flash in flight help distinguish it from similar pipits.
Temperament
wary and terrestrial
Flight Pattern
undulating with short rapid wingbeats; display flights with a parachuting glide
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season, holding small territories in open grassland. Nests are cup-shaped and placed on the ground, concealed among grasses. Outside breeding, it may form loose flocks and often associates with grazed areas where insects are abundant.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A series of thin, high-pitched tweets and trills, often delivered from a short song flight. Calls include sharp chips and tsip notes given in flight or while foraging.
Plumage
Brown to sandy-brown upperparts with dark streaking, buffy underparts with fine streaks on the breast and flanks, and clean whitish belly. Feathers are crisp and neatly streaked, with contrasting white outer tail feathers obvious in flight.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small invertebrates such as beetles, flies, ants, caterpillars, and spiders gleaned from the ground and low vegetation. It probes among grass tussocks and picks prey from bare soil patches. Seeds may be taken opportunistically, especially outside the breeding season, but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Forages in short, open swards of native grasslands, grazed pastures, airfields, and field margins. Often follows livestock, taking insects they flush, and uses damp meadows or edges of wetlands where invertebrate activity is high.
