About

Tree pipits are summer visitors to the UK, spending the winter in sub-Saharan Africa. They return to the UK between mid March and early May. As the name suggests, they are usually found around trees - particularly in glades of open woodlands, clearings in conifer plantations, and on heathlands with scattered trees.

They sing from treetops, letting out an enthusiastic chain of buzzing trills and descending scales. Often they'll launch into the air and sing in flight, parachuting back down on stiff wings, into the top branches of a tree. They nest on the ground, building a cup of dry grass that's often tucked into the base of a grassy tussock, or hidden under dead bracken or other low vegetation. In autumn, they head south again, migrating both at night and during the day. Their buzzing 'spihz' calls can sometimes be heard as they pass overhead.

Tree pipits have declined dramatically since the 1970s, earning them a place on the Red List of UK birds. However, whilst the populations in England (particularly the lowlands) and Wales have seen big declines, the numbers in Scotland have increased. It's thought that changes in forest structure are playing a role in their decline, though as long-distance migrants, issues on their migration route and their wintering grounds could also play their part.