The European rock pipit (Anthus petrosus) is a small passerine bird that breeds along rocky coasts in western Europe. It has streaked greyish-brown upperparts and buff underparts, resembling other European pipits.
These birds build cup nests under coastal vegetation and lay four to six speckled, pale grey eggs, which hatch in about two weeks. Their diet mainly consists of small invertebrates found on rocks or in shallow water. Although they face threats from birds of prey and parasites, their population is large and stable, leading to a least concern status by the IUCN.
The European rock pipit typically inhabits coastal areas below 100 meters, breeding in temperate and Arctic Europe, and occasionally in Iceland. While the nominate race is mostly resident, subspecies can migrate to inland locations or beaches in winter. Migratory populations leave their breeding grounds in September and October, returning in March, with some northern areas seeing arrivals as late as May.
