Anthus pratensis
A small passerine, the meadow pipit closely resembles its cousin the tree pipit. This migratory bird lives in the north-west of the Eurasian continent and winters in the south of the same continent and in North Africa.
Meadow pipits are found in open areas such as moors, pastures, marshes and wasteland, where they nest on the ground. Pipits can lay two to three broods a year if conditions are right.
To find out more about pipits’ migration routes and flight altitudes, they are captured using vertical nets at their coastal nesting sites in France. They are fitted with a 0.5g GLS which records the data (approximate geographical positions and precise atmospheric pressure for altitude). In order to collect the data, the GLS must be recovered the following year by recapturing the birds on their return from wintering.
Breeding in France ; Migratory, passing through France ; Wintering or sedentary in France