Plain-backed Pipit
Anthus leucophrys Vieillot, 1818
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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".
Wikipedia contributors, Plain-backed pipit; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:14:52.418456+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Anthus leucophrys Vieillot, 1818
- Name authority
- Vieillot, 1818
- Common name
- Plain-backed Pipit
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Genus
- Anthus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMotacillidae Horsfield, 1821
- genusAnthus Bechstein, 1805
- speciesAnthus leucophrys Vieillot, 1818
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Anthus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Correndera PipitAnthus correndera Vieillot, 1818 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-breasted PipitAnthus chloris Lichtenstein, 1842 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hellmayr's PipitAnthus hellmayri Hartert, 1909 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Short-billed PipitAnthus furcatus Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mountain PipitAnthus hoeschi Stresemann, 1938 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus (Pallas, 1811) | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Berthelot's PipitAnthus berthelotii Bolle, 1862 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Water PipitAnthus spinoletta (Linnaeus, 1758) | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nilgiri PipitAnthus nilghiriensis Sharpe, 1885 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rosy PipitAnthus roseatus Blyth, 1847 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Paddyfield PipitAnthus rufulus Vieillot, 1818 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| African Rock PipitAnthus crenatus Finsch & Hartlaub, 1870 | MotacillidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=558652 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5VKDG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.