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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Motacillidae
  4. ›
  5. Anthus
  6. ›
  7. Australian Pipit
Australian Pipit
Photo · Gmelin, 1789

BirdUp · Species

Australian Pipit

Anthus novaeseelandiaeVieillot, 1818

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Motacillidae
Genus
Anthus

At a glance

The Australian Pipit is a small bird, about 13–18 cm long, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
13–18 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does an Australian Pipit look like?

The Australian Pipit is a small bird, about 13–18 cm long and weighing 20–40 g.

The Australian Pipit is a common, small passerine bird found in open habitats across Australia. It is distinguished by its upright stance, wagging tail, and streaked brown plumage. It was formerly considered conspecific with the New Zealand Pipit and Richard's Pipit.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
13–18 cm
Weight
20–39.6 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see an Australian Pipit?

The Australian Pipit is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does an Australian Pipit eat?

The Australian Pipit feeds on terrestrial invertebrates and intertidal invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Australian Pipit live in Australia?

The Australian Pipit is native to Australia, recorded across 93 of Australia’s bioregions.

Breeding range
Australia and New Guinea