Large pipit with strong facial pattern. Nominate race has dark brown lores, contrasting creamy supercilium and lower eyelid (giving spectacled appearance), brown ear-coverts; forehead whitish, crown, head side and upperparts blackish-brown, buff olive-brown feather edgings giving streaked appearance, rump plainer olive-brown to buff; wing feathers dark brown, edged buffish olive-brown; tail dark brown, edged grey, T5 tipped white, T6 brownish-white to buff; throat to upper breast white to pale buff, rest of underparts buff or pale brown, blackish-brown stripe or patch on side of throat and lower neck; iris dark brown; bill lack; legs dark horn or pinkish. Sexes alike. Juvenile has blackish-brown streaks below. Race rhododendri is slightly smaller than nominate, and has greener upperparts and darker underparts; wollastoni has somewhat brighter plumage, but black at side of throat reduced to broken streaks of absent.
Not Threatened
Large pipit with strong facial pattern. Nominate race has dark brown lores, contrasting creamy supercilium and lower eyelid (giving spectacled appearance), brown ear-coverts; forehead whitish, crown, head side and upperparts blackish-brown, buff olive-brown feather edgings giving streaked appearance, rump plainer olive-brown to buff; wing feathers dark brown, edged buffish olive-brown; tail dark brown, edged grey, T5 tipped white, T6 brownish-white to buff; throat to upper breast white to pale buff, rest of underparts buff or pale brown, blackish-brown stripe or patch on side of throat and lower neck; iris dark brown; bill lack; legs dark horn or pinkish. Sexes alike. Juvenile has blackish-brown streaks below. Race rhododendri is slightly smaller than nominate, and has greener upperparts and darker underparts; wollastoni has somewhat brighter plumage, but black at side of throat reduced to broken streaks of absent.
17.5 – 18 cm
Taxonomy: Anthus gutturalis De Vis, 1894, Mount Maneao, south-east New Guinea. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * wollastoni wollastoni Ogilvie-Grant, 1913 - WC New Guinea. * rhododendri Mayr, 1931 - EC New Guinea (in C highlands and Huon Peninsula). * gutturalis De Vis, 1894 - SE New Guinea.
Alpine grassland above the tree-line on the highest mountains, between 3200 m and 4500m, occasionally down to 2500 m. Prefers short grass, often near cover of shrubs.
Mainly small insects and their larvae, and other arthropods; grass seeds, berries and green herbaceous matter also recorded. Forages on the ground, moving with a "waddling" gait. Sometimes up to ten individuals together. When alarmed, flies to a vantage point such as rock, bush or tree, up to 12 m away, at forest edge. Frequently holds the bill upwards at 45-degree angle
Single nestling found in latter part of wet season, in Apr, Sept and Oct. Nest a cup of fine grass, placed on steep bank. No other information.