About Anthus vaalensis Shelley, 1900
This species, commonly known as the buffy pipit, has a scientific name of Anthus vaalensis Shelley, 1900. It measures 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) in length and weighs 23–36.6 g (0.81–1.29 oz). It is often confused with the plain-backed pipit, as both species have plain upperparts. The buffy pipit's upperparts are paler and buffier than those of the plain-backed pipit. The buffy pipit has a pale supercilium, and the base of its lower mandible is pinkish. It has faint markings on its breast, and its belly and flanks are buffy. Juvenile buffy pipits have mottled plumage. The buffy pipit is distributed across Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its total estimated distribution size is 5,660,000 km2 (2,190,000 sq mi). Its preferred habitat is semi-arid plains covered with grasses and patches of bare ground, and it also occurs in pastures, burnt fields, and along the edges of saltpans.
