American Pipit
American PipitAmerican PipitAmerican PipitAmerican Pipit

American Pipit

Anthus rubescens

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
1,018 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
11,365 Verified sightings across all 45 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the American Pipit

The American pipit (Anthus rubescens), formerly known as the buff-bellied pipit, is a small songbird native to North America. It was first described by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 Ornithologia Britannica. It was formerly classified as a form of the water pipit. The former subspecies, Siberian pipit, is now considered a distinct species.

Like most other pipits, the American pipit is an undistinguished-looking species which usually can be seen to run around on the ground. It has lightly streaked grey-brown upperparts and is diffusely streaked below on the buff breast and flanks. The belly is whitish, the bill and legs are dark. The related Siberian pipit is darker above and has bolder black streaking on its whiter underparts; its legs have a reddish hue. The call is a squeaky sip.

Measurements: Length: 16 cm Weight: 22 g Wingspan: 24 cm The scientific name is from Latin. Anthus is the name for a small bird of grasslands, and the specific rubescens means "reddish", from ruber, "ruddy". Three subspecies are currently recognized:

A. r. rubescens - (Tunstall, 1771), American pipit – breeds in northern Canada east to Greenland and northeast United States... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Sprague's Pipit
VU

Sprague's Pipit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthus spragueii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Verdin
LC

Verdin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Auriparus flaviceps

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
House Finch
LC Endemic

House Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haemorhous mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Lesser Goldfinch
LC

Lesser Goldfinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spinus psaltria

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Abert's Towhee
LC

Abert's Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melozone aberti

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Vermilion Flycatcher
LC

Vermilion Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Curve-billed Thrasher
LC

Curve-billed Thrasher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Toxostoma curvirostre

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Warbler
LC

Yellow-rumped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga coronata

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Phainopepla
LC

Phainopepla

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Phainopepla nitens

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Cactus Wren
LC

Cactus Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
White-crowned Sparrow
LC

White-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Northern Cardinal
LC Endemic

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
8 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
12 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
13 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
14 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
15 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
16 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
17 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
18 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
31 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
40 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
41 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
42 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
43 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
44 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
45 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Pipit in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a American Pipit sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 1,018 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Pipit in Saguaro National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for American Pipit in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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