Hellmayr's Pipit Anthus hellmayri Scientific name definitions

The Hellmayr's Pipit inhabits moist grasslands throughout South America's southern cone. Despite being relatively widespread, it has a curiously fragmented range, with populations in Patagonia, in the Altiplano and central Andes, and in the eastern Pampas and coastal grasslands of the southeast of the continent. These populations involve various subspecies with morphological and vocal differences, although the latter requires further study. There is a sizable genetic difference between at least two of these populations, which suggests that more than one species may be involved in what we presently recognize as Hellmayr's Pipit.

Its plumage is generally warm buff throughout its range, but there is some slight geographic variation. Generally speaking, the underparts are buff or pale cinnamon, with fine streaking on the flanks and a narrow band of streaking on the breast. The face is unpatterned (lacking a strong eye ring or supercilium), with narrow streaking on the crown, a small bill, and relatively large, dark eyes. The tarsi are bright pinkish.

Its song is pleasant, more so than the raucous song of the widespread Correndera Pipit (Anthus correndera), although the two share several vocal and behavioral patterns. Both species perform a series of sweet notes before a buzz, although the back and forth between buzz and sweet notes are more rhythmic and quicker in Hellmayr's Pipit. In addition, during the buzz of the flight song, both species fall from the sky, but Hellmayr's Pipit does so with the legs dangling, unlike Correndera Pipit.