The Rock pipit is almost exclusively a coastal bird although birds from Scandinavia do migrate and may turn up elsewhere. They are larger than Meadow Pipits, almost as big as a Tawny Pipit, and they are strikingly dark, so much so that the black streaks on their underparts become almost lost in a dark grey-brown wash. They can be told from the similar Water pipit by their dull grey, not white, outer tail feathers and by their all dark head with no eyestripe or wingbars. To confuse matters though, Scandinavian Rock pipits of the race A.p.littoralis may have obvious eyestripes and some white in their outer tail and in spring their breasts become paler, pinker and less streaked much like Water Pipits. Their outer tails, however, are always duller, often buffish and never completely white.

Breeds around rocky coasts. Winters on rocky shores and in saltmarshes.

A fairly common resident of rocky coasts, absent in much of north-west England and between south Yorkshire and Kent. In winter some dispersal occurs and birds can be found on areas such as the east coast. The Scandinavian race is regular in small numbers on passage, mainly on the east coast.

Usually easy to find around most of the coasts of north-west Europe.

©BirdGuides 1999