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: Two subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025), rubescens, breeding from the Aleutian Islands eastward through northern Canada and western Greenland, and southward along the Cascades and Rocky Mountains to Oregon and southwestern Alberta; wintering from Arizona and western Texas southward to southern Mexico, and 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.
Subspecies japonicus, formerly included within species A. rubescens, is recognized as a full species, Siberian Pipit A. japonicus (AviList 2025).
Hendricks et al (2024) proposed three subspecies, separating pacificus from rubescens, essentially occupying the US section of the range outlined above for rubescens, north of alticola.
Rapp et al (1958) cited rubescens as occurring in Nebraska; it would seem most likely of the two or three subspecies to occur in migration. Field identification of the subspecies is difficult due to overlap in plumage features. The only subspecies confirmed in Wyoming is the local breeder alticola (Faulkner 2010).
Spring: Feb 27, 28, 28 <<<>>> May 20, 20, 21
An earlier date is 11 Feb 2020 Pawnee Lake, Lancaster Co.
Later dates are 24 May 2026 Saunders Co, and 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, 90 at Twin Lakes WMA, Seward Co 27 Apr 2026, 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 21, 21, 23
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 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, 15 Dec 2025 Lincoln 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, Keith Co 12 Oct 2000, 600 near Hastings, Adams Co 21 Oct 2006, 455 at Lake Ogallala, Keith Co 2 Oct 2022, and 360 at Cedar Vue, Lake McConaughy, 22 Oct 2025.
Winter: This species winters north to central Kansas, and so winter stragglers may occur in central Nebraska, although there is no evidence for regular 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
AviList Core Team, 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025.
Faulkner, D.W. 2010. Birds of Wyoming. Roberts and Company, Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA.
Gubanyi, J.G. 1996. 1992, 1993 (Fifth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 64: 30-35.
Hendricks, P., N.A. Verbeek, and S.G. Mlodinow. 2024. American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.amepip.02.
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. 2026. American Pipit (Anthus rubescens). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 25 Jul 2026