Anthus rubescens
Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual winter visitor central.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6724, 19 Oct 1899 Lancaster Co.
Taxonomy: Some recent international naming authorities (Gill et al 2022) use the name Buff-bellied Pipit for this species, which occurs in Siberia as well as North America.
There are four subspecies generally recognized (Hendricks and Verbeek 2020): rubescens, breeding north of the tree line from northern Alaska east to Newfoundland, wintering in the southeast United States and northeast Mexico, pacificus (including geophilus), breeding from the Aleutian Islands east across southern and central Alaska to Mackenzie (in the Northwest Territories) and south along the Cascades and Rocky Mountains to Oregon and southwest Alberta, wintering from Arizona and west Texas into Mexico, alticola, breeding in the Rocky Mountains from Montana south to east-central Arizona and northern New Mexico and, farther west, chiefly in the Sierra Nevada of California, wintering in the southwest United States and northwest Mexico, and japonicus, breeding in Siberia and vagrant only to western parts of Western Hemisphere. Inclusion of japonicus within A. rubescens is controversial due to genetic and morphological differences (Hendricks and Verbeek 2020).
Rapp et al (1958) cited rubescens as occurring in Nebraska; it would seem most likely as a migrant of the three North American subspecies, although the montane Rocky Mountains race alticola may also occur in migration but has not been confirmed. Field identification of the two subspecies is difficult due to overlap in plumage features. The only subspecies confirmed in Wyoming is the local breeder alticola (Faulkner 2010).
Spring: Mar 4, 4, 6 <<<>>> May 20, 20, 21
Earlier dates are 11 Feb 2020 Pawnee Lake, Lancaster Co, 27 Feb 2021 (3) Frontier Co, 28 Feb 2012 Richardson Co, 1 Mar 2018 (8-12) at Pawnee Lake, and 1 Mar 2025 Sutherland Reservoir, Lincoln Co.
A later date is 26 May 2021 Lancaster Co.
Migration takes place mainly in Apr, although the first arrivals appear in Mar.
- High counts: 100 at Spring Creek Prairie, Lancaster Co 12 May 2009, 100 at Red Cloud, Webster Co 3 May 2013, 100 on I Avenue, Dakota Co 22 Apr 2025, 80 at Ely Farm, Nuckolls Co 17 Mar 2025, 75 in Hamilton Co 9 Apr 2005, and 67 at Clear Creek WMA, Keith Co 18 Apr 1998.
Fall: Aug 30, 31, Sep 2 <<<>>> Nov 18, 18, 19
Earlier dates are 12 Aug 2024 Lake McConaughy, Keith Co, 14 Aug Keith Co (Rosche 1994), 17 Aug 2008 Polk Co, 18 Aug 2002 Dixon Co, 24 Aug 1964 Lincoln Co, 24 Aug 2023 Kiowa WMA, Scotts Bluff Co, and 26 Aug 2006 Keith Co.
Later dates are 21 Nov 2015 Douglas Co, 23 Nov 2013 Lancaster Co, 27 Nov 2020 Lincoln Co, 28 Nov 2020 Platte Co, 29 Nov 2023 Branched Oak Lake, Lancaster Co, 2 Dec 2018 Lancaster Co, 4 Dec 2009 Lancaster Co, 7 Dec 2023 Lake Ogallala, Keith Co, 18-19 Dec 1992 (3) near Keystone, Lake McConaughy (Gubanyi 1996), 19 Dec 2015 Scotts Bluff Co, 28 Dec 2013 (4) Lake McConaughy, 30 Dec 2018 Lake McConaughy CBC, 1 Jan 2017 (3-4) Lake Ogallala, Keith Co, and 1 Jan 2021 Cedar Co.
Migration is mostly in late Sep and Oct.
- High counts: 744 at Lake McConaughy 12 Oct 2000, 600 near Hastings, Adams Co 21 Oct 2006, 455 at Lake Ogallala, Keith Co 2 Oct 2022, 320 at Johnson WPA, Phelps Co, 18 Nov 2001, and 275 in Jefferson Co 10 Oct 2022.\
Winter: This species winters north to central Kansas, and so winter stragglers may occur in central Nebraska, although there is no evidence for overwintering. There are three records 2 Jan-10 Feb:
13 Jan 2025 Lake McConaughy, Keith Co
19 Jan 2025 (2) Nuckolls Co
22 Jan 2021 Lake Minatare, Scotts Bluff Co.
Images
Abbreviations
CBC: Christmas Bird Count
WMA: Wildlife Management Area (State)
WPA: Waterfowl Production Area
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
Faulkner, D.W. 2010. Birds of Wyoming. Roberts and Company, Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Gubanyi, J.G. 1996. 1992, 1993 (Fifth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 64: 30-35.
Hendricks, P. and N.A. Verbeek. 2020. American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.amepip.01.
Rosche, R.C. 1994. Birds of the Lake McConaughy area and the North Platte River valley, Nebraska. Published by the author, Chadron, Nebraska, USA.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2025. American Pipit (Anthus rubescens). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 16 Jun 2025