Water Pipit Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)
The Water Pipit is a winter visitor to the UK and can be spotted mainly in southern and eastern England during the months from October to March. Water Pipits breed in the Alps and other mountain ranges of central and southern Europe.
When in breeding plumage, the Water Pipit has greyish-brown upperparts streaked with darker brown streaks, pale pink-buff underparts which fades to white on the lower belly, white outer tail feathers, a grey head and white supercilium.
During winter, the head is grey-brown, the upperparts have even more streaks, the underparts are white streaked with brown on the breast and flanks and the supercilium is duller.
To find out more about this small winter visitor, keep reading.
Table of Contents
How Long Does A Water Pipit Live?
The Water Pipit has an average lifespan of somewhere between 1 to 5 years. However there have been individual birds that have survived for much longer with one individual reaching almost 9 years according to ring data.
How Fast Can A Water Pipit Fly?
The speed that a Water Pipit can achieve when in flight ranges from 18 to 25 mph (30 to 40 km/h). This is a common flight speed amongst similar sized passerines and enables them to manoeuvre freely whilst foraging or evading predators.
However, the flight speed can be affected by a number of factors including weather conditions, wind speeds, the health and fitness of the bird as well as the reason for the flight. Water Pipits will attain higher flight speeds whilst migrating for example, than they will when foraging for food.
Are Water Pipits Aggressive?
Although not overly aggressive, Water Pipits can display aggressive tendencies towards birds of a similar species like Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails in their wintering grounds. Like many visiting winter birds, the Water Pipit is extremely wary around humans.
This makes it quite difficult to study these small passerines in any detail up close.
What Is A Water Pipit’s Habitat?
Water Pipits have different habitats depending on the time of year;
- During the breeding season
Water Pipits reside in the west Palearctic in Alpine pastures and mountain meadows. Their habitats are mainly short grassland with a scattering of rocks, trees and bushes, moist or wet meadowlands with pools, watercourses or snowmelt or fresh permanent snow cover. - In Winter
Water Pipits migrate to lowland freshwater habitats typically along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of southern Europe. In the UK, they overwinter in freshwater wetlands like marshland, lagoons, on grassy edges of lakes and rivers, gravel pits, irrigated cultivated areas like watercress farms and rice fields with some even inhabiting coastal saltings. They are usually only found on southern and eastern coastal sites but can also be found inland. Water Pipits are an extremely rare sight in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In some cases Water Pipits migrate north to colder regions during the winter months. While others will fly south to warmer climes.
How Long Does It Take For A Water Pipit To Build A Nest?
It takes around 4 to 7 days for a Water Pipit to build a nest. The female is the main nest builder, she constructs a cup shaped nest typically on the ground. Often hidden in vegetation, rocky areas or tussocks.
The nest is made from grass, moss and other local plant materials and is then lined with softer materials like animal fur and feathers. The actual construction time can vary depending on the availability of nest building materials, environmental conditions and the health and experience of the female.
Eggs
Once the nest has been completed to the satisfaction of the female, she will enter and lay her eggs.
When Do Water Pipits Lay Eggs?
Water Pipits return to their Alpine breeding grounds in April and start breeding towards the end of the month. The female will lay her eggs in late April or early May depending on climatic conditions and the availability of adequate food supplies.
Some years, the breeding and egg laying is delayed by bad weather and the breeding season doesn’t commence until late May or June with egg laying held up until June or July.
How Many Eggs Does A Water Pipit Lay?
The female will lay a clutch of 4 to 6 eggs with the egg laying process taking place from the end of April up until early July depending on climatic conditions.
Water Pipits often raise a single brood but in many cases they will raise 2 broods each season.
What Do Water Pipit Eggs Look Like?
The eggs of the Water Pipit are oval shaped and have a smooth, slightly glossy texture. They can vary in colour between a pale greyish-white or brownish tint which is sometimes laced with a greenish hue.
They are often speckled with brown, reddish-brown or purple spots. These markings help in camouflaging the eggs from above. The speckling tends to be more dense on the larger end of the egg. Interestingly, eggs in the same clutch can vary in colour and markings. This is a survival tactic to allow at least some of the eggs to remain in the nest after any predatory attack.
Each egg weighs around 2.7 grams of which 5% is the weight of the shell.
How Long Do Water Pipit Eggs Take To Hatch?
The eggs are incubated for around 14 to 15 days solely by the female until they hatch. Unfortunately Water Pipit nests are often invaded by Cuckoos which will leave one of their eggs in the nest for the unsuspecting Water Pipit to raise.
Chicks
Once the incubation period has ended the chicks hatch and we move on to the next stage in the life cycle of the Water Pipit.
How Many Chicks Does A Water Pipit Have?
The number of chicks should correspond to the number of eggs laid. However, this isn’t always the case as some eggs remain unfertilised, and some don’t make it past the embryo stage.
From a typical brood of 6 eggs, Water Pipits have a success rate of around 3 to 4 hatchlings.
When Do Water Pipit Chicks Open Their Eyes?
Water Pipit chicks tend to open their eyes around 5 to 6 days after hatching. Like all altricial chicks, the chicks of the Water Pipit are completely blind and naked when they hatch.
They rely on their parents for food, warmth and protection. Once they do open their eyes, the chicks can start to recognise their parents and siblings which is an important stage of their development. They are initially fed by the male who takes on most of the feeding responsibilities. The female helps after a few days but the majority of the feeding is left to the male.
When Do Water Pipit Chicks Fledge?
The chicks remain reliant on their parents for the first couple of weeks of their lives. All the while growing and developing flight feathers and the muscle strength to fly.
They typically fledge the nest around 14 to 15 days after hatching. Their parents continue to feed the chicks for another couple of weeks before they actually go off and fend for themselves completely.
SEE ALSO: Bittern Vs Grey Heron: Key Differences Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
The average lifespan of a Water Pipit is around 1 to 5 years. However there have been individuals that have survived for more than 9 years according to ring data.
Water Pipit eggs can vary in colour between a pale greyish-white or brownish tint which is sometimes laced with a greenish hue. They are often speckled with brown, reddish-brown or purple spots. These markings help in camouflaging the eggs from above.
Water Pipits typically lay 4 to 6 eggs in each brood and can lay 2 broods each season.
