a typical behavior of the actual stilts is trained also with the Piepern: they trip comely with its long legs at the ground back and forth and see-saw with its tail on that occasion up and down (the tail becomes "gestelzt"). Only, the tail is shorter with the Piepern. Just as elegantly they move in the Gezweig, and also the flight works easily and quickly, long ago not as arched as with the stilts.
Way of life Altogether 39 types carry the name "Pieper" however 34 are summarized in the type Anthus.
All Pieper are the underground of tried on coloring very similarly in its and in both sexes almost same, spreads world-wide and actually is missing only on the Pacific islands. They participate, as of course typical insectivores, from the seasonally conditional temperature-fluctuations dependent. While they undertake only smaller hikes in the tropical regions, the most northern and most southern brood-populations are migratory birds, who start its trip in big swarms. The preferred habitats are grass and wetlands.
Types Belong to the Eurasian forms beside the Baumpieper of the Wiesenpieper (Anthus pratensis); 14,5 cm of length, the Rotkehlpieper, Anthus cervina; 14,5 cm, the water or Bergpieper, A. spinoletta; 16,5 cm, the Waldpieper, A. hodgsoni (14,5 cm), the Petschorapieper, A. gustavi; 14,5 cm, and the Brachpieper, A. campestris; 16,5 cm.
Chant Most Pieper can arise into remarkable heights. One sees it then rise (Baumpieper) "step for step" spiritedly. They begin high for the air with its chant, that sounds agreeable for the human ear. This behavior is known from the larks very similar anyway also externally, however the Pieper don't gain the variety of the lark-chant by far; maybe the chant of the Baumpiepers, that is therefore called also "Waldkanarie", is hereby comparably. All types like to also sing at the ground.
Brood Many types of the Pieper brood several times in the year. At the ground hidden, the birds build its bowl-shaped nests from fine grass-stalks. While the female incubates the 3-7 eggs, it is fed by the male. As at all ground-breeders, the boys leave the nest soon.
The Spornpieper has, as the African Großspornpieper (type Macronyx), especially long rear-toe-claws, that are less strongly distinctive with other types.
Endangering The Brachpieper (Anthus campestris) is on the red list of the types threatened by the extinction with us.
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