Rock Pipit

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Rock Pipit, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Green listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	No
Birds Directive Annex 1	No
Listed on the Annexes of	Bern(III)

The breeding population and trend of the Rock Pipit is poorly understood. It is too common to be monitored by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel and yet not sufficiently common or widespread to be monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey. Furthermore, its specialist habitat requirements and the fact that it is not thought to be declining mean that it is not covered by occasional surveys which monitor other less common species (e.g. breeding wader surveys). It is found around most of the coasts of the UK wherever suitable rocky habitat exists with gaps where the only habitats are sandy beaches and saltmarsh, such as along much of the east coast of England (Balmer et al. 2013). There has been little change in the number of occupied 10-km squares since the 1968–72 Atlas (Balmer et al. 2013), suggesting stability. However, the population estimate for Rock Pipit, of 34,000 pairs (APEP4), is based on the data from the 1988–91 Bird Atlas (Gibbons et al. 1993) and has never been updated.

Breeding Rock Pipits are stringly tied to rocky coasts and are absent from long stretches of low-lying coasts characterised by saltmarshes, mudflats or sandy beaches. The highest breeding densities are in western Ireland, southwest Wales, the Hebrides and Northern Isles. The winter distribution remains almost exclusively coastal but enlarges to include the saltmarshes of eastern England, these being inhabited by migrant Rock Pipits from Fennoscandia.

Little is known about trends for breeding Rock Pipits. Range changes have been modest but there is evidence of localised population declines on some Scottish islands.

Rock Pipit is recorded year-round, with a distinct peak in autumn during passage.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing

9 years 4 months 0 days (set in 2018)

Wing Length	Adults	89±4.2 | Range 82–95mm, N=305
	Juveniles	89.3±3.9 | Range 84-95mm, N=565
	Males	91.6±2.2 | Range 88–96mm, N=78
	Females	85.1±2.7 | Range 81–89mm, N=64

Body Weight	Adults	24.9±2.4 | Range 21.0–29.0g, N=249
	Juveniles	24.7±2.4 | Range 21.4–28.8g, N=501
	Males	25.3±1.5 | Range 23.3–28.0g, N=65
	Females	24.6±2.9 | Range 20.0–28.5g, N=49

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	A2 (pulli B2)
Field Codes	2-letter: RC | 5-letter code: ROCPI | Euring: 10142

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Causes of change

The little knowledge we have of this species suggests that there has been no substantial change in its status. Its preference for rocky coastal habitats is likely to mean that, in contrast to most other species depending on other habitats in the UK, the Rock Pipit has been relatively undisturbed and its habitat has remained relatively unchanged. However, given the lack of knowledge about the population trends for this species further research would be prudent, both to confirm that the population is stable and to better understand the requirements of this species.