Sprague's Pipit
(Anthus spragueii)

Overview

Summary

© Christian Artuso
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Sprague's Pipit nests in native grasslands across the southern prairie provinces. Results from the Breeding Bird Survey indicate a large decrease in the population since about 1970. Canada is home to over 80% of the world's breeding population, and therefore has a very high responsibility for the conservation of the species. In 2000, Sprague's Pipit was assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as Threatened because of population declines and continuing habitat loss; this status was reaffirmed in 2010 (Environment Canada 2008, COSEWIC 2010g). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

Like other species adapted to native prairie grasslands, the Sprague's Pipit likely declined significantly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the grasslands were converted to agricultural crops; it is also less common on areas seeded to non-native grass than on native grasslands (Robbins and Dale 1999). It has been suggested that fire, grazing or mowing is necessary to maintain habitat quality by reducing encroachment of shrubs (Environment Canada 2012). Sprague's Pipit is sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation sometimes as a result of linear development (e.g., roads, trails, power-lines, pipelines; Environment Canada 2008, Davis 2004). Appropriately managed grazing practices can help to maintain optimal habitat for this species. For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view the Recovery Strategy, see the SARA Registry.

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• COSEWIC. 2010g. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Sprague's Pipit, Anthus spragueii, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa. ix + 34 pp. COSEWIC. 2010g. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Sprague's Pipit, Anthus spragueii, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa. ix + 34 pp. (Link)
• Davis, S.K. 2004. Area sensitivity in grassland passerines: Effects of patch size, patch shape, and vegetation structure on bird abundance and occurrence in southern Saskatchewan. Auk 121: 1130–1145.
• Environment Canada. 2008. Recovery Strategy for the Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. v + 29 pp. Environment Canada. 2008. Recovery Strategy for the Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. v + 29 pp. (Link)
• Environment Canada. 2012. Amended Recovery Strategy for the Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. Vi + 46 pp. Environment Canada. 2012. Amended Recovery Strategy for the Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. Vi + 46 pp. (Link)
• Robbins, M.B. and B.C. Dale. 1999. Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Robbins, M.B. and B.C. Dale. 1999. Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)