Small bird (about 17 cm or 6.5 in) with a sand coloured plumage, lighter in the underparts. The back is sandy grey, with stripes, while the belly and breast are smoother cream colour. Rounded wings and long tail of white colour. Thin, tall, yellow legs. Light-coloured eyebrows with a darker eye line. White moustachial stripe with black lower part and also white throat.
Scrubland
Pipits are birds of open spaces, steppes and sparse grasslands with little vegetation, areas of very scattered scrubland and dry areas in general. Present also in vineyards and juniper groves. The Tawny Pipit in Malaga occupies mostly grasslands and juniper groves in mountain areas with a certain altitude.
This pipit is a summer bird, present in Malaga only during the breeding season. It is a terrestrial bird that spends much of its time on the ground, walking and moving its tail rhythmically. It breeds from May to August, making two annual layings of 3 to 5 eggs, nests on the ground and feeds on insects and small seeds.
It is a sparse bird and with very localized populations in the province. Present in Sierra Tejeda and Sierra de las Nieves. The Fuenfría area is a good place to watch it. In the Great Path it also appears in stage 29.
This bird emits a simple chant, very repetitive and characteristic, composed only of two or three notes. It is very territorial but rarely flies and prefers to walk. When it does it does not usually move away from the same place. The Tawny Pipit is a species still little known in the province.
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