Bird Album
Sprague's Pipit
Anthus spragueii (Audubon, 1844)
15–17 cmLength26 gWeight
Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) is a small songbird (passerine) in the family Motacillidae that breeds in the short- and mixed-grass prairies of North America.
Busiest months: November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Sprague's Pipit has been recorded at 80 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Anzalduas ParkUnited States1,134 records
- King Ranch – Norias DivisionUnited States1,121 records
- Laguna Atascosa NWRUnited States163 records
More places
- Hornsby BendUnited States129 records
- Falcon State Park—SE portion (Starr Co.)United States90 records
- Santa Margarita Ranch (LTC 079)United States90 records
- Santa Ana NWRUnited States75 records
- Village Creek Drying Beds (PPW-W 083) – ACCESS CLOSED July 2025United States68 records
- Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States66 records
- Beaverhill Bird ObservatoryCanada64 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii) is a small songbird (passerine) in the family Motacillidae that breeds in the short- and mixed-grass prairies of North America. Migratory, it spends the winters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Sprague's pipits are unusual among songbirds in that they sing high in the sky, somewhat like a goldfinch or skylark.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Sprague's Pipit?
The Sprague's Pipit is about 15–17 cm long and weighs around 26 g.
Where does the Sprague's Pipit live?
Its breeding range: North America: south-central Canada and north-central USA. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the Sprague's Pipit?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Sprague's Pipit endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Sprague's Pipit as Vulnerable.
What does the Sprague's Pipit eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Sprague's Pipit in?
It belongs to the family Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 15–17 cm
- Weight
- 26 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
More measurements
- Wing
- 78 mm
- Tail
- 65 mm
- Bill
- 14 mm
- Tarsus
- 22 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America: south-central Canada and north-central USA
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Wagtails, Pipits Motacillidae
- Genus
- Anthus
Other birds in the genus Anthus
Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
Paddyfield PipitAnthus rufulus
Australian PipitAnthus australis
New Zealand PipitAnthus novaeseelandiae
African PipitAnthus cinnamomeus
Mountain PipitAnthus hoeschi
Blyth's PipitAnthus godlewskii
Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
Long-billed PipitAnthus similis
Nicholson's PipitAnthus nicholsoni
Wood PipitAnthus nyassae
Buffy PipitAnthus vaalensis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Hannah Willars. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.