Scientific name:
Anthus novaeseelandiae

Natural spread:
Asia, Australia, New Zealand

the brownish one, unterseits of stained Spornpieper comes in numerous subtypes, that vary (15-20 cm of length) above all in the size, as brood-bird from Eastern Asia and South-Siberia until New Zealand and Australia before. While some smaller subtypes than stand-birds behave, the more important ones advance outside the incubation as far as to southwest-Asia, Europe and Africa. In central and Eastern Asia, the Brutareal of the Spornpiepers Z overlaps. T. with that of another type, the Brachpiepers (Anthus campestris). Both types prefer open grassland-ships, paddies and other culture-surfaces. As Durchzügler from Siberia, the Spornpieper is to be found also in inferior number with us.

Characteristics The extraordinarily long claws of the rear-toes are a marking characteristic. Longer than the toe themselves, it reaches 1-1,4 cm with the smaller races, with which bigger 1,4-2,2 cm. This reshuffle is only gained in its sizes at the Groß-Spornpiepern (type Macronyx) Africa. Otherwise, the family Stelzen offers few differentiation-possibilities. The very uniform bird-group is similar in look and behavior for the larks in much sense. The birds move at the ground continuously, in contrast to which moves most different small-birds, who jump itself. Also the Pieper distinguish themselves in that the tail is moved unremittingly up and down ("Wippstert").

Reputations The chant, an essential type-difference, is recited only grudging in sitting. All the rather the Spornpieper express it in the air if they glide undulating in the Singflug downward.