Common name: Water Pipit (جشنة الماء)
Scientific name: Anthus spinoletta
Family: Motacillidae

Size:
Body length: 15–17 cm
Wingspan: 23–27 cm
Weight: 18–30 g

Identification:
A medium-sized pipit with a slender build, fine bill, and relatively long legs. In winter, it appears grey-brown above with fine streaking and a pale underside, often showing a buff tone. In breeding plumage, it becomes cleaner grey with a distinctive pinkish flush on the breast and reduced streaking. It shows a white outer tail in flight and often bobs its tail while walking on the ground.

Habitat:
Prefers wet and open habitats such as riverbanks, marsh edges, coastal mudflats, wet meadows, and rocky streams. In its breeding range, it is often associated with alpine and mountainous areas near water.

Status in the UAE:
Winter visitor and passage migrant. Regularly recorded in wetlands, coastal areas, and occasionally inland water bodies during migration seasons.

Diet:
Insectivorous — feeds mainly on insects, larvae, and other small invertebrates, often picked from the ground or shallow water edges.

Behavior:
Typically seen walking or running along open ground near water, frequently wagging its tail. Often solitary or in small groups, it may mix with other pipit species. Its flight is undulating, accompanied by soft calls.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)