Animalia Life

Anthus chloris
TAXONOMY
Anthus chloris Lichtenstein, 1842, Vaal/Modder Rivers, South Africa.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Pipit а gorge jaune; German: Gelbbrustpieper; Spanish: Bisbita de Pecho Amarillo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
6.3–7.1 in (16–18 cm); 0.9 oz (25 g). Mottled brown upperparts with yellowish eye stripe and yellow chin to belly.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern South Africa and Lesotho.
HABITAT
Submontane, flat to undulating lush grasslands, usually tussocky; normally breeds at 4,600–7,900 ft (1,400–2,400 m); outside breeding season also in lower-elevation pastures and fallow lands.
BEHAVIOR
Territorial when breeding; usually in pairs but in small flocks when not breeding. Skulking and furtive. Sings from ground or in display flight. Some move to lower altitudes after breeding.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages on the ground for insects.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous; breeds November though January, during rains. Nest is a cup of stalks, grass and roots, lined rootlets and hair; built under tussock. Lays two to three eggs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable because habitat loss and range contraction suggest its small population (2,500–6,500 birds in 2000) is declining. Threatened by burning, grazing, agricultural intensification and commercial afforestation.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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