CreatureData

Plain-backed pipit

Anthus leucophrys Vieillot, 1818

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The plain-backed pipit (Anthus leucophrys) is a species in the family Motacillidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 23.2 g to 29.5 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Plain-backed pipit (Anthus leucophrys)
Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the plain-backed pipit

Weight
23.2 g – 29.5 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Invertivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
grasslandsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
2.4src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the plain-backed pipit live?

Not recorded

What is the plain-backed pipit?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The plain-backed pipit or plain pipit (Anthus leucophrys) is a medium-sized passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

It is found in open habitats, especially short grassland and cultivation. It builds its cup-shaped nest on the ground and usually lays three eggs. Like other pipits, this species is insectivorous.

The plain-backed pipit is a large pipit at 17 cm, but is otherwise an undistinguished looking species, faintly streaked grey-brown above and pale below with light breast streaking. It has a strong white supercilium, and dark moustachial stripes. It has long legs and tail, and a long dark bill. Sexes are similar, but juveniles have warmer brown upperparts.

Some care must be taken to distinguish this species from wintering tawny pipits, Anthus campestris. The plain-backed pipit is sturdier and darker than the Tawny, and stands more upright. Perhaps the best distinction is the characteristic "ssissik" call, quite different from the tawny pipit's "tchilip".

From the Wikipedia article “Plain-backed pipit” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plain-backed_pipit&oldid=1314959203), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the plain-backed pipit endangered?

The plain-backed pipit is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the plain-backed pipit classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyMotacillidae
  6. genusAnthus
  7. SpeciesAnthus leucophrys Vieillot, 1818

Synonyms Anthus pyrrhonota

Other names and names in other languages (30)
  • PBPIEnglish
  • DonkerkoesterAfrikaans
  • piula llisaCatalan
  • linduška hnědohřbetáCzech
  • corhedydd aelwynWelsh
  • Afrikansk StorpiberDanish
  • BraunrückenpieperGerman
  • brundorsa pipioEsperanto
  • Bisbita lisoSpanish
  • kõrrekiurEstonian
  • sänkikirvinenFinnish
  • Pipit à dos uniFrench
  • Pipit à dos rouxFrench
  • savanska trepteljkaCroatian
  • barnahátú pityerHungarian
  • Pispola dorsouniformeItalian
  • チャイロタヒバリJapanese
  • vienspalvis kalviukasLithuanian
  • BruinrugpieperDutch
  • brannpiplerkeNorwegian
  • świergotek gładkiPolish
  • petinha-de-dorso-lisoPortuguese
  • Буроспинный конёкRussian
  • Буроспинный гигантский конёкRussian
  • ľabtuška hnedochrbtáSlovak
  • brunryggig piplärkaSwedish
  • Düz Sırtlı İncirkuşuTurkish
  • щеврик-велетUkrainian
  • 純背鷚Chinese
  • 纯背鹨Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the plain-backed pipit

Other species in the same genus Anthus.

LC, Least Concern
Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis)

Tree pipit

Anthus trivialis

Motacillidae

LC, Least Concern
Tawny pipit (Anthus campestris)

Tawny pipit

Anthus campestris

Motacillidae

LC, Least Concern
Water pipit (Anthus spinoletta)

Water pipit

Anthus spinoletta

Motacillidae

ComparePlain-backed pipit vs Tree pipitPlain-backed pipit vs Meadow pipitPlain-backed pipit vs Tawny pipitPlain-backed pipit vs Red-throated pipit

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the plain-backed pipit?

An adult plain-backed pipit weighs 23.2 g – 29.5 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the plain-backed pipit endangered?

The plain-backed pipit is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the plain-backed pipit?

The plain-backed pipit (Anthus leucophrys) belongs to the family Motacillidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Plain-backed pipit (Anthus leucophrys). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/plain-backed-pipit

MLA

“Plain-backed pipit (Anthus leucophrys).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/plain-backed-pipit.

BibTeX
@misc{plain_backed_pipit_2026,
  title = {Plain-backed pipit (Anthus leucophrys)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/plain-backed-pipit},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}