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Study Guide: The South Georgia Pipit: Ecology and Conservation

Cheat Sheet:
The South Georgia Pipit: Ecology and Conservation Study Guide

Taxonomy and Unique Status

The South Georgia pipit, Anthus antarcticus, is the only songbird native to the Antarctic region.

Answer: True

Explanation: The source material identifies the South Georgia pipit as the only songbird in Antarctica and South Georgia's sole passerine species.

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The South Georgia pipit belongs to the scientific class Aves, which includes all birds.

Answer: True

Explanation: The taxonomic classification for the South Georgia pipit places it within the class Aves, the biological classification for all birds.

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The German ornithologist Jean Louis Cabanis first described the South Georgia pipit in the early 1900s.

Answer: False

Explanation: Cabanis first described the South Georgia pipit in 1884, which is in the late 19th century.

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The South Georgia pipit is classified as a sparrow-sized passerine, or perching bird.

Answer: True

Explanation: The bird is described as sparrow-sized and is a member of the order Passeriformes, which are perching birds.

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The South Georgia pipit belongs to the scientific kingdom Fungi.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is an animal and therefore belongs to the kingdom Animalia.

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The scientific phylum of the South Georgia pipit is Arthropoda.

Answer: False

Explanation: As a vertebrate, the South Georgia pipit is classified under the phylum Chordata.

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The South Georgia pipit is part of the scientific order Falconiformes.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit belongs to the order Passeriformes, which includes perching birds and songbirds.

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The scientific family of the South Georgia pipit is Turdidae.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is classified under the family Motacillidae, which includes pipits and wagtails.

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The South Georgia pipit is part of the scientific genus Motacilla.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit belongs to the genus Anthus.

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The South Georgia pipit is commonly known as the Antarctic robin.

Answer: False

Explanation: The bird's common name is the South Georgia pipit. Its scientific name is Anthus antarcticus.

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The South Georgia pipit is South Georgia's only passerine species.

Answer: True

Explanation: The source confirms that the South Georgia pipit is the sole passerine (perching bird) species found on the archipelago.

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What is the scientific name of the South Georgia pipit?

Answer: Anthus antarcticus

Explanation: The binomial nomenclature for the South Georgia pipit is Anthus antarcticus, placing it in the genus Anthus.

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Which of the following distinctions makes the South Georgia pipit unique in the Antarctic region?

Answer: It is the only songbird in Antarctica.

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit holds the unique status of being the only songbird (passerine) native to the entire Antarctic region.

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To which scientific kingdom does the South Georgia pipit belong?

Answer: Animalia

Explanation: As a multicellular, eukaryotic organism that is motile and heterotrophic, the South Georgia pipit is classified in the kingdom Animalia.

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Under which scientific phylum is the South Georgia pipit classified?

Answer: Chordata

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is a vertebrate, placing it within the phylum Chordata.

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What is the scientific class of the South Georgia pipit?

Answer: Aves

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is a bird, and all birds are classified in the class Aves.

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The South Georgia pipit belongs to which scientific order?

Answer: Passeriformes

Explanation: As a songbird or perching bird, the South Georgia pipit is classified in the order Passeriformes, the largest order of birds.

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Which scientific family includes the South Georgia pipit?

Answer: Motacillidae

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is part of the family Motacillidae, which also includes wagtails.

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What is the scientific genus of the South Georgia pipit?

Answer: Anthus

Explanation: The scientific name is Anthus antarcticus, placing the species within the genus Anthus.

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Who first described the South Georgia pipit and in what year?

Answer: Cabanis in 1884

Explanation: The German ornithologist Jean Louis Cabanis provided the first scientific description of the species Anthus antarcticus in 1884.

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How is the South Georgia pipit generally classified in terms of bird type?

Answer: A sparrow-sized songbird and passerine

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is a small, sparrow-sized bird belonging to the order Passeriformes, which encompasses songbirds and perching birds.

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Physical Biology and Behavior

The South Georgia pipit is a relatively large bird, typically measuring 25 centimeters in length and weighing over 100 grams.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is a small bird, measuring approximately 17 centimeters in length and weighing around 36 grams.

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A distinctive physical characteristic of the South Georgia pipit is its short legs and long tail.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is characterized by its long legs and a short tail, along with a long hindclaw.

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South Georgia pipits typically construct their nests from dried grass within the shelter of tussac grass.

Answer: True

Explanation: The species builds its nests from dried grass, usually situated within tussac grass, a common clumping grass in its sub-Antarctic habitat.

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The South Georgia pipit primarily feeds on small fish and marine invertebrates.

Answer: False

Explanation: The diet of the South Georgia pipit consists of small insects, spiders, and scavenged beach debris.

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The South Georgia pipit's long hindclaw is an adaptation for climbing trees in a forested habitat.

Answer: False

Explanation: While the long hindclaw is characteristic of a perching bird, the pipit's habitat is dominated by tussac grass, not forests. The claw aids in gripping surfaces in its environment.

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The South Georgia pipit typically lays a clutch of six eggs per year.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit lays four eggs per year.

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The South Georgia pipit's diet of insects, spiders, and beach debris demonstrates its adaptation to the available food sources in its island ecosystem.

Answer: True

Explanation: This diet shows the bird is an opportunistic feeder, adapted to consuming the small invertebrates and scavenged materials available in its coastal, sub-Antarctic habitat.

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What are the typical measurements for the South Georgia pipit's length and weight?

Answer: 17 cm (6.7 inches) and 36 grams (1.3 ounces)

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is a small bird, with an average length of 17 cm and a weight of approximately 36 grams.

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Which of the following is a distinctive physical characteristic of the South Georgia pipit?

Answer: A small and stocky build with long legs and a long hindclaw

Explanation: The bird is characterized by its small, stocky build, long legs, a notably long hindclaw (typical of perching birds), and a short tail.

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Where does the South Georgia pipit typically construct its nests?

Answer: Within tussac grass

Explanation: The pipit builds its nest from dried grass, typically concealed within the dense clumps of tussac grass that dominate its habitat.

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How many eggs does a South Georgia pipit typically lay annually?

Answer: Four eggs

Explanation: The typical clutch size for the South Georgia pipit is four eggs per year.

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What does the South Georgia pipit primarily consume as part of its diet?

Answer: Small insects, spiders, and beach debris

Explanation: The diet is primarily insectivorous, supplemented by spiders and scavenging on organic matter found along the shoreline.

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How does the South Georgia pipit's diet reflect its adaptation to its environment?

Answer: Its diet of insects, spiders, and beach debris shows adaptability to available island food sources.

Explanation: The pipit's diet demonstrates its ability to exploit the limited terrestrial and intertidal food resources available in its sub-Antarctic island habitat.

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What is the likely function of the South Georgia pipit's long hindclaw?

Answer: It aids in gripping surfaces as a perching bird.

Explanation: As a passerine, or perching bird, the long hindclaw is a key morphological adaptation that provides a secure grip on various surfaces within its habitat, such as tussac grass and rocks.

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Geographic Distribution and Habitat

The South Georgia pipit is primarily found on the Antarctic Peninsula mainland, with only occasional sightings on the South Georgia archipelago.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit is found exclusively on the South Georgia archipelago and is not present on the Antarctic mainland.

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Where is the South Georgia pipit exclusively found?

Answer: Only on the South Georgia archipelago

Explanation: The species is endemic to the South Georgia archipelago, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world.

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What is the political status of the South Georgia pipit's habitat?

Answer: A British overseas territory

Explanation: The South Georgia archipelago, the exclusive habitat of the pipit, is politically administered as a British overseas territory.

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Conservation: Threats and Population Status

According to the IUCN Red List, the South Georgia pipit is classified as 'Vulnerable' due to its restricted habitat.

Answer: False

Explanation: The IUCN Red List (version 3.1) classifies the South Georgia pipit's conservation status as 'Least Concern'.

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The main threats to the South Georgia pipit's population were the introduction of invasive rats and environmental damage from human activities.

Answer: True

Explanation: The source material identifies the primary threats to the species as the human introduction of rats and environmental damage from human activities.

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In 2004, the estimated population of mature South Georgia pipits was between 10,000 and 12,000 individuals.

Answer: False

Explanation: The estimated population of mature individuals in 2004 was between 6,000 and 8,000.

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What is the conservation status of the South Georgia pipit according to the IUCN Red List (IUCN 3.1)?

Answer: Least Concern

Explanation: The IUCN Red List classifies the species as 'Least Concern,' indicating it is not currently at high risk of extinction, largely due to successful conservation efforts.

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What were the primary threats to the South Georgia pipit's population before restoration efforts?

Answer: Human introduction of rats and environmental damage from human activities

Explanation: The introduction of invasive rats, which preyed on eggs and chicks, was the most significant threat, compounded by general environmental damage from past human activities like whaling.

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What was the estimated population of mature South Georgia pipits in 2004?

Answer: 6,000 to 8,000 individuals

Explanation: Prior to the full impact of the restoration project, the 2004 population estimate for mature individuals was between 6,000 and 8,000.

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Conservation: The Habitat Restoration Project

The South Georgia pipit was designated as the poster bird for a habitat restoration initiative led by the World Wildlife Fund.

Answer: False

Explanation: The South Georgia pipit was the poster bird for the South Georgia Heritage Trust's Habitat Restoration project.

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The baiting phase of the rat eradication project on South Georgia concluded in late 2016.

Answer: False

Explanation: The baiting phase of the rat eradication project was concluded in early 2015.

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The success of the rat eradication project on South Georgia was officially confirmed in 2020.

Answer: False

Explanation: The successful eradication of rats from South Georgia was officially confirmed in 2018.

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Following habitat restoration efforts, South Georgia pipits became less frequently seen by visitors due to their dispersal across a wider area.

Answer: False

Explanation: After the restoration efforts, the pipit population increased noticeably, and the birds became much more frequently seen by visitors.

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Before the habitat restoration project, South Georgia pipits were most commonly observed on Prion Island, a naturally rat-free area.

Answer: True

Explanation: Prior to the successful rat eradication on the main island, the pipits were rare and most often seen on Prion Island, which was free of invasive rats.

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The first South Georgia pipit nest discovered in an area cleared of rodents was found at Schlieper Bay.

Answer: True

Explanation: This significant milestone, the discovery of the first nest in a newly rodent-free zone, occurred at Schlieper Bay.

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The South Georgia Heritage Trust's Habitat Restoration project primarily aimed to reintroduce native plant species to the archipelago.

Answer: False

Explanation: The primary purpose of the project was to eradicate the invasive rat population from the South Georgia archipelago to protect native bird species.

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The South Georgia Heritage Trust's Habitat Restoration project began its efforts to eradicate rats in 2011.

Answer: True

Explanation: The rat eradication project, led by the South Georgia Heritage Trust, commenced in 2011.

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Which organization designated the South Georgia pipit as the poster bird for a habitat restoration initiative?

Answer: South Georgia Heritage Trust

Explanation: The South Georgia Heritage Trust led the Habitat Restoration project and used the pipit as a flagship species to represent the conservation goals.

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When did the South Georgia Heritage Trust's Habitat Restoration project commence its efforts to eradicate rats?

Answer: 2011

Explanation: The ambitious project to eradicate invasive rats from the entire archipelago began in 2011.

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When was the baiting phase of the rat eradication project on South Georgia concluded?

Answer: Early 2015

Explanation: The operational phase of distributing bait to eliminate the rat population was completed in early 2015.

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In what year was the success of the rat eradication project on South Georgia officially confirmed?

Answer: 2018

Explanation: After a multi-year monitoring period following the baiting phase, the island was officially declared rat-free in 2018.

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How did the visibility and numbers of South Georgia pipits change following the habitat restoration efforts?

Answer: Their numbers increased noticeably, and they became much more frequently seen.

Explanation: The removal of rat predation led to a significant recovery in the pipit population, making them a much more common sight for visitors to the island.

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Before the habitat restoration project, where were South Georgia pipits most commonly observed?

Answer: On Prion Island, a rat-free area

Explanation: When rats infested the main island, the pipit population was largely confined to smaller, offshore islands like Prion Island that had remained rat-free.

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What significant discovery related to the South Georgia pipit's nesting was made after the rodent eradication project?

Answer: The first South Georgia pipit nest in an area cleared of rodents.

Explanation: A key indicator of the project's success was the discovery of the first pipit nest on the main island in an area that had been cleared of rats, signaling the species' recovery and recolonization.

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What was the primary purpose of the South Georgia Heritage Trust's Habitat Restoration project?

Answer: To eradicate invasive rats from the archipelago.

Explanation: The project's main objective was the complete eradication of invasive rat species to allow the recovery of native ground-nesting birds like the South Georgia pipit.

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