The Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) is a small passerine found in the Old World. There are 2 subspecies of Olive-backed Pipit. The nominate subspecies is (Anthus hodgsoni hodgsoni) is found from the Himalayas (Inskipp and Inskipp 1991, Ali et al. 1996), East from Northwestern India, to Eastern to Central China in Southern Tibet, and from Northeastern Qinghai, Southern Inner Mongolia and Shanxi South to Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces (Cramp 1988, del Hoyo et al. 2004); also found in North Korea (Alström and Mild 2003) and in Japan, south to Central Honshu (Brazil 2009). This subspecies winters in South and Southeast Asia (Tyler 2020)

The second subspecies is (Anthus hodgsoni yunnanensis) has a more northerly range extending from Northwestern Russia, from West of the middle region of the Pechora River, into Southwestern Siberia and Northeastern Altai (Dementiev et al. 1970), eastward to the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands, with the western portion of the range extending South to Northern Mongolia, Northeastern China, South to at least to Liaoning Province, and to Northern Japan to Hokkaido (Cramp 1988, del Hoyo et al. 2004 and Alström and Mild 2003, Brazil 2009). This species winters in South and Southeast Asia (Tyler 2020). This is the subspecies that is known to have occurred in North America through specimen records (Gibson and Withrow 2015).

This is a migratory species with Northern populations migrating to Southern parts of Asia, wintering from India (Ali 1996)) and Pakistan (Ali and Ripley 1998) east to Southeastern China (Guangmei and Cizu 2002, Meyer de Schauensee 1984) and south throughout Burma (Smythies 1986), Thailand (Lekagul and Round 1991), across into Vietnam (Eames and Robson 1992), South into the Northern Malay Peninsula (Medway and Wells 1976, Jeyarajasingam and Pearson 1999), Northern Borneo (Smythies 1999, MacKinnon and Phillipps 1993) and the Philippines (Dickinson et al. 1991, Kennedy et al. 2000). Most birds leave the breeding areas in late August, with arrival in non-breeding quarters from September to mid-October with most birds returning to their breeding areas mid-May into early June (del Hoyo et al. 2004). Southern populations also move farther south for the winter (Cramp 1988). 

The Olive-backed Pipit breeds on edge of taiga, on grassy and bracken-covered slopes, rocky ground and glades in open forest of oak (Quercus), birch (Betula), alder (Alnus), fir (Abies) or pine (Pinus); also in secondary growth and wooded or abandoned cultivation and scrub with isolated trees, and on barren lava areas, around marshes and shady areas in paddy fields (del Hoyo et al. 2004). Also frequents dwarf juniper (Juniperus) or other scrub above timber-line, breeding at up to 4000 m in Himalayas (Cramp et al. 1988, del Hoyo 2004). 

In non-breeding season occurs in Himalayan foothills, to 2500m; elsewhere, winters in mango groves and other suitable wooded habitats, including coffee and cardamum plantations, on hills and on plains (del Hoyo et al. 2004).

The diet of the Olive-backed Pipit consists mostly of Insects including adult and larval moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), flies (Dip­tera), beetles (Coleoptera) and bugs (Hemiptera); also grass (Gramineae) and weed seeds. Also eats weevils (of genera Tanymecus and Myllocerus). Forages on the ground, usually close to cover; when disturbed, generally flies into trees, where it often walks along branches (del Hoyo et al. 2004).  On wintering grounds in the Philippines, recorded as feeding frequently in pines, by walking along branches and probing for insects. In small flocks in non-breeding season (del Hoyo et al. 2004).

The Olive-backed Pipit is an annual vagrant in Northwestern Europe with most records coming from Great Britain and Ireland, but records also have occurred from many European countries such as Norway, Finland, Germany, and Poland to name a few (Cramp 1988, Lewington et al. 1992, Snow and Perrins 1998). This species is a rare regular visitor to Isreal, but is a vagrant to Cyprus, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Oman (Porter et al. 1996, Shirihai 1996, Alström and Mild 2003) and from Iran (Scott 1994, Ullman and Ullman 2016.

In North America the Olive-backed Pipit is a rare to casual spring and fall migrant in the Western Aleutian Islands where it has probably nested (Gibson and Withrow 2015). It is very rare on St. Paul Island, casual at Gambell, accidental in the Central Aleutian Islands (West 2008), accidental on the Alaska Peninsula (Tobish 1999), and accidental in South-central Alaska on Middelton Island (DeCicco et al. 2017).

Outside Alaska the Olive-backed Pipit is an accidental migrant vagrant with only a handful of records (Howell et al. 2014). There is a single record of 12-15 birds photographed during late September and early October 1983 on Kure Atoll in Hawaii (Pyle 1984). Along the west coast this species is accidental in California with an immature bird photographed and banded on the Southeast Farallon Islands from September 26-29, 1998 (Capitolo et al. 2000, Hamilton et al. 2007) and an adult bird of the subspecies yunnanensis was collected near Reno Nevada on May 16, 1967 (Burleigh 1968). It is accidental in British Columbia with a recent fall photographed record. There is a single record for Mexico of a first-year bird found in Catavina in Baja California between October 18-19, 1996 (which was most likely of the subspecies A. h, yunnanensis) (Hamilton et al. 2000).

The Identification of the Olive-backed Pipit is covered in most standard North American Field guides. This species is a small sized pipit measuring 14-15 cm in length and weighing 17-26 grams with a wingspan of 26cm (Lewington et al. 1992, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009, Dunn and Alderfer 2011).

 

The following description is taken from Tyler (2020).

The nominate subspecies (A. h. hodgsoni) has broad buffish-white to creamy supercilium bordered black above, rear ear-coverts with white spot above a black spot; black malar stripe; upperparts greenish-olive, with prominent black streaks on forehead and crown, and black streaks on mantle; lesser wing-coverts greenish-olive, other wing feathers blackish, edged greenish or yellowish, greater and median coverts with pale tips forming double wing bar (upper one more prominent); tail dull blackish, edged green, T5 with white distal wedge on inner web, cream-buff tip and inner web, T6 white with proximal grey wedge on inner web; chin to upper breast yellow-buff to whitish, lower flanks olive, rest of underparts white to buffy white, breast and upper flanks broadly and heavily streaked or spotted black, lower flanks somewhat less strongly streaked; axillaries and underwing-coverts yellow to buff; iris ochre-brown or dark brown; bill dark horn-brown, base of lower mandible dull pinkish to pinkish; legs dusky pinkish or pink, sometimes yellowish. 

The second subspecies (A. h. yunnanensis) differ from nominate subspecies in having much less prominent streaks on the mantle (often appears plain), with somewhat narrower streaks below.

Careful care should be taken with any bird to distinguish Olive-backed Pipit from the similar looking Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) which has occurred in Alaska on three occasions (Gibson and Kessel 1992) and is potential vagrant down the west coast. 

Distinguished from Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) mainly by having stronger supercilium, narrower mantle streaks, bolder and broader streaks below, different ear-covert pattern. Sexes alike. Immature is browner above than adult, with streaks below longer, wider, but less well defined. 

This species is very different to American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), or other rare pipit species that have occurred in British Columbia such as Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus) or Siberian Pipit (Anthus japonicus). With careful watch given for potential vagrant species such as Pechora Pipit (Anthus gustavi) or Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis). To get a more in depth on the differences between all these pipit species keen observers should read (King 1981, Parkes 1982, Helbig 1987, Olsen 1999, Alström and Mild 2003)

The Olive-backed Pipit sings, from a treetop or in flight, and is a repetition of single trilled phrases and short dry rattles at fast pace; calls include loud “teaze”, hoarse but thin “teez” or “tseep” in flight, and high, thin, almost inaudible “tsi” or “sit” at rest. Most vocalizations very like those of Tree Pipit (A. trivialis).

 

The Olive-backed Pipit is an accidental vagrant in British Columbia and was only recently added to the avifauna list of the province in 2025. The first record for the province was found and photographed by Kaiden Bosch at Oceanview Drive near 12th St in Daajing Giids, on Haida Gwaii from September 29-30, 2025 (Toochin and Cecile 2025). This bird occurred during a weather event often called a “Siberian Express” that saw large rapidly moving low frontal systems move out of Northeast Siberia across to British Columbia depositing many Asiatic vagrant species (M. Meredith Pers Comm.).  The fall of 2025 was remarkable as many Asian vagrant species were found on Haida Gwaii. This included a couple of Eurasian Skylarks, Red-throated Pipits, a White Wagtail, a Siberian Pipit, a Rustic Bunting, and 2 Great Egrets of the nominate subspecies alba, from Eurasia (M. Hearne Pers. Comm.). This weather pattern should be watched for again in the future as it is the weather pattern that creates the fallout of Asian species. This same weather pattern also occurred in the fall of 2014 bringing with it many Siberian birds to Haida Gwaii (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.). 

 

Thanks to Don Cecile for editing the manuscript. Also, a big thanks to Margo Hearne for keeping diligent records for Haida Gwaii. I also want to thank Mitch Meredith for his professional advice on weather patterns and bird occurrences. Special thanks to Macaulay Library for being open source and allowing free sharing of photos for non-commercial purposes, and to all birders and eBird users for their hard work out in the field finding birds and documenting them for fun and for science.

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