Pipits and Wagtails

Pipits and Wagtails are slender, ground-loving birds in the family Motacillidae. They usually have long legs, thin bills, and long tails, and many species walk or run on open ground while searching for insects. Pipits are generally brownish, streaked birds that blend well with grasslands, fields, páramos, mudflats, and open country; they often flick or pump the tail and may be hard to identify because many look similar. Wagtails are usually more boldly patterned, often black, white, gray, or yellow, and are famous for constantly wagging their long tails as they walk near water, roadsides, fields, and open wetlands. In Colombia, true wagtails are not typical native resident birds, while pipits are represented by species such as the Paramo Pipit and other open-country pipits, mostly in highland grasslands and páramo habitats.