Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus)

OTHER NAMES: Oriental Pipit

Latin Etymology: Anthus ("flower") rufulus ("red-headed")

Adult Paddyfield Pipit (subspecies A. r. malayensis) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Anthus rufulus malayensis
Weight: ?  /  Length: 16cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The paddyfield pipit is a very widespread Asian species of pipit - one of the very few found in the region.  It was one of a number of species formerly considered part of Richard's Pipit, but that group was subsequently split off into African, Mountain and Australasian Pipits.  It seems to have fairly specific habitat requirements in Malaysia - I only encountered them at one sandy-grassland site on reclaimed land on Malacca, and as with meadow pipits in the UK, stuck to open spaces.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae
Genus: Anthus
SUBSPECIES: A. r. rufulus, A. r. waitei, A. r. malayensis, A. r. lugubris, A. r. albidus, A. r. medius

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ក្រូចអុិនវាលស្រែ ("Orange field")

 A fairly common resident.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - Some seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

MALAYSIA - Malay - Ciak Bendang ("Field Cheep")
A locally common resident

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Several pairs seen near the shorefront in Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-Canto