The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae. The genus is widespread, occurring across most of the world, except the driest deserts, rainforest and the mainland of Antarctica.
The wagtails, longclaws, and pipits are a family, Motacillidae, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five genera. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominantly found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with two species migrating and breeding in Alaska. The pipits have the most cosmopolitan distribution, being found mostly in the Old World, but occurring also in the Americas and oceanic islands such as New Zealand and the Falklands. Two African species, the yellow-breasted pipit and Sharpe's longclaw, are sometimes placed in a separate seventh genus, Hemimacronyx, which is closely related to the longclaws.
The western yellow wagtail is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.
The Cape longclaw or orange-throated longclaw is a passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which comprises the longclaws, pipits and wagtails. It occurs in Southern Africa in Zimbabwe and southern and eastern South Africa. This species is found in coastal and mountain grassland, often near water.
Sharpe's longclaw is a passerine bird in the longclaw family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and wagtails. It is endemic to Kenya.
The rosy-throated longclaw, also known as the rosy-breasted longclaw is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.
The Pangani longclaw is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae, which includes the pipits and wagtails. It is found in Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia. The bird's natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The Abyssinian longclaw is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae.
Fülleborn's longclaw or Fuelleborn's longclaw, is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae. It is found in damp grassy habitats in south-central Africa.
Hemimacronyx is a proposed genus of birds in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It contains two species that are usually treated as belonging to two larger genera, Macronyx and Anthus. The plumage of the two species is more similar to that of the longclaws and the golden pipit, having brown barred backs and bright yellow breasts and throats. They are presumed to be closely related to these two groups, but the split has not been widely recognised. Both species are found in open areas of Africa. They are both threatened with extinction due to human activities, principally habitat loss.
