Meadow pipit?

MB Lacey

Can anyone confirm that this is a meadow pipit?



And if it is a meadow pipit (with its long hind claw) - whats the black mark on its chest??
Saw it on the cliff walk around Ardmore, Co waterford few weeks ago.
Thanks.

Feargal as Luimneach

It is a medow pipit with worn summer plumage. In fresh plumage often more buff colouring on underparts. Long hind claw and prominent streaking on flanks eliminates tree pipit(rare in Ireland though). In coastal rgions you could confuse with Rock pipit especially with worn plumage like this bird, but Rock pipit always has dark legs and meadow pipit has light coloured legs. Rock pipit also much stronger bigger looking bird (noticable when two species side by side).
Dark marking on chest is most likely breeze fluffing up feathers creating a dark artifact.

LostCovey

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

It is a medow pipit with worn summer plumage. In fresh plumage often more buff colouring on underparts. Long hind claw and prominent streaking on flanks eliminates tree pipit(rare in Ireland though). In coastal rgions you could confuse with Rock pipit especially with worn plumage like this bird, but Rock pipit always has dark legs and meadow pipit has light coloured legs. Rock pipit also much stronger bigger looking bird (noticable when two species side by side).
Dark marking on chest is most likely breeze fluffing up feathers creating a dark artifact.

Agreed. Most Meadow pipits have a dark patch in the middle of the breast resulting from a clumping of the breast streaks, but this looks like more than that, as Feargal says, probably a patch of dark under-down showing through plumage parted by the wind.

A lot of species of birds that live in long grass have a very long hind claw.

LostCovey