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BTO Blueline
MEADOW PIPIT
Anthus pratensis
Meadow Pipit © G H Higginbotham
 

• Population
  changes

• Productivity
  trends

• Additional
  information
Conservation listings
Europe: no SPEC category (concentrated in Europe, conservation status favourable)
UK: amber (25–50% population decline)
Long-term trend
England: moderate decline
UK population size
1,680,000 territories in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using CBC/BBS trend: BiE04, APEP06)
Status summary
The CBC/BBS trend has been downward since the mid 1970s, accompanied by a range contraction from lowland England (Gibbons et al. 1993). Meadow Pipits are partial migrants and conditions on the Iberian wintering grounds have been linked to the decline, as have losses of marginal land from parts of the breeding range (Gibbons et al. 1993). Moorland, the key Meadow Pipit habitat, was not covered well by the CBC, leading to some doubt about the significance of the early results for this species, but BBS now provides more representative monitoring and has enabled the species to move from the green to the amber list. Nest failure rates during the 12-day nestling stage have declined markedly, which may reflect the loss of birds from suboptimal habitat. A trend towards earlier laying is probably related to climate change (Crick & Sparks 1999). Meadow Pipits are estimated to have declined by 57% across Europe during 1980–2005 (PECBMS 2007).
 

Population changes
CBC/BBS England graph
 
Table of population changes for Meadow Pipit

Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
CBC/BBS England 39 1967-2006 136 -46 -74 -24 >25  
  25 1981-2006 192 -43 -61 -26 >25  
  10 1996-2006 381 -5 -15 6    
  5 2001-2006 411 -8 -16 1    
BBS UK 11 1995-2006 703 -13 -19 -6    
  10 1996-2006 718 -13 -18 -7    
  5 2001-2006 768 -13 -17 -8    
BBS England 11 1995-2006 360 -9 -18 1    
  10 1996-2006 369 -5 -14 5    
  5 2001-2006 411 -6 -13 1    
BBS Scotland 11 1995-2006 197 -23 -30 -13    
  10 1996-2006 195 -23 -30 -14    
  5 2001-2006 185 -17 -23 -11    
BBS Wales 11 1995-2006 84 4 -10 20    
  10 1996-2006 86 4 -12 19    
  5 2001-2006 96 -13 -21 -1    
BBS N.Ireland 11 1995-2006 59 51 21 101    
  10 1996-2006 64 42 15 70    
  5 2001-2006 72 6 -11 17    

BBS acknowledgement
 
BBS UK graph
BBS England graph
BBS Scotland graph
BBS Wales graph
BBS N Ireland graph
 

Productivity trends
Table of productivity changes for Meadow Pipit

Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Modelled
in first year		 Modelled
in 2006		 Change Comment
Clutch size 38 1968-2006 36 None        
Brood size 38 1968-2006 68 None        
Daily failure rate (eggs) 38 1968-2006 46 None        
Daily failure rate (chicks) 38 1968-2006 60 Linear decline 2.71% nests/day 1.08% nests/day -60.1%  
Laying date 38 1968-2006 38 None        

 
Clutch size graph
Brood size graph
Egg nest failure graph
Chick nest failure graph
Laying date graph

 

 

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species
 

Additional information
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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G.,
Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009).
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008.
BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009