Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population is estimated to number > c.20,000,000 individuals (Rich et al. 2004), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and c.50-1,000 wintering individuals in Taiwan and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009).
Trend justification
This species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant decrease over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007).
Race A. r. japonicus breeds in Russia in southeastern Taymyr, western Siberian Plateau, and from east of Lena river, Yakutsk region and Lake Baikal east to Chukotsk Peninsula, Commander Islands, Sakhalin and Kuril Islands; winters in southern Asia. A. r. pacificus breeds in western North America (Alaska, USA and Coast Range south to Oregon); winters south to western Mexico. A. r. alticola breeds C & southern Rocky Mts (south from southern British Columbia), also locally in mountains west to California (southwestern USA); winters south to Mexico. A. r. rubescens breeds northern and eastern Canada, occasionally western Greenland and extreme northeastern USA; winters south to Central America.
Text account compilers
Butchart, S., Derhé, M. & Ekstrom, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/buff-bellied-pipit-anthus-rubescens on 24/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/11/2024.