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Status: Population size: 870,000 Photo by Paul Conover, US Geological Survey.

Sprague's Pipit
(Anthus spragueii)

Endemic to North American grasslands, the cryptic plumage and habits of the Sprague's Pipit make it one of the least-known birds in North America. Territorial males have a flight display that may last up to 3 hours, the longest known flight display of all avian species. Although little is know about this species, it is known that since Audubon first named this bird in 1843, it has suffered from severe population decline associated with the loss of prairies from cultivation, overgrazing, and invasion by exotic plant species.

Identification
This small passerine is found in well-drained, open grasslands and fields. When flushed, it rises from the ground in an undulating flight. It is distinguished from other passerines by the characteristic slender shape, relatively narrow bill, and thin, high-pitched calls and songs of pipits. It is distinguishable from American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) by its buffy brown upperparts with broad blackish streaking, yellowish to pale pinkish brown legs, and a dark upper mandible that contrasts with a pale lower mandible.

Distribution and Population Trends
The entire world population of Sprague's Pipit relies on North America for its survival. It currently breeds in the native prairie of the Great Plains, including the southern portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in Canada, and Montana, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota in the US. The breeding range is contracted from historical records, which coincides with the growth of agriculture. It winters in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and northern Mexico south to Michoacan, Puebla, Veracruz, and possibly to Guerrero.

Ecology
The Sprague's Pipit leaves the wintering grounds in April, arriving on breeding grounds late April to mid-May. It leaves the breeding grounds anywhere from September through November and will arrive in wintering grounds over the same period. It prefers well-drained areas of open grassland with native grasses of intermediate height and thickness with moderate litter depths. This species is a ground feeder that eats mainly arthropods, but occasionally seeds during migration and at wintering grounds. Males maintain their territory with flight displays characterized by long periods of circling over their territory and giving his display song. They end the display by dropping down to the ground and leveling off just before dropping into the grass. The monogamous pair bonds form shortly after arrival on breeding grounds where coarse and fine dried grasses are woven into a cup nest on the ground, sometimes made into a dome by weaving in nearby growing long grass. An average of 4.5 eggs are laid and cared for entirely by the female for the 25 days needed to raise the clutch to fledging. A second clutch may be laid to replace a failed nest attempt or to raise a second brood.

Threats
Apparently widespread during early settlement, this species now is only common where suitable habitat is left. Most of this species' decline occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the short- and mid-grass plains were converted to agricultural use. Agriculture and overgrazing remain the leading causes for decline of Sprague's Pipit in both its summer and wintering grounds. The introduction of exotic grasses also degrades summer habitat for the pipit as they are much more abundant on fields with native grasses. Overgrazing also leads to encroachment of woody trees and shrubs in the wintering grounds rendering the habitat unsuitable. Sprague's Pipit is parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbird, but at lower rates than most other grassland birds. During severe drought, this pipit is limited by the presence of grass.

Conservation
Prescribed burns are used on both the breeding and wintering grounds to control the encroachment of woody vegetation. Grazing and haying are also used to control the growth of plants. In this situation, haying is delayed until after the nesting season. There is increasing interest in protecting the remaining native prairies and using native plants for agriculture.

What Can You Do?
Audubon's Important Bird Area program is an essential tool for the conservation of Sprague's Pipit as well as other species. To learn more about the Important Bird Areas program in Texas, and to learn how you can help with the IBA program visit: http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/tx.html

U.S. National Wildlife Refuges provide essential habitat for the Sprague's Pipit and a great number of other species throughout the U.S. and its territories. Unfortunately, the refuge system is often under-funded during the U.S. government's budgeting process. To learn more about how you can help gain much needed funding for U.S. National Wildlife Refuges, visit: http://www.audubon.org/campaign/refuge_report/

References
BirdLife International (2006) Species factsheet: Anthus spragueii, Sprague's Pipit http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=8459&m=0

Robbins, M. B. and B. C. Dale. 1999. Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii). In The Birds of North America, No. 439 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.