The related Siberian pipit is darker above and has bolder black streaking on its whiter underparts; its legs have a reddish hue.

Anthus is the name for a small bird of grasslands, and the specific rubescens means "reddish", from ruber, "ruddy".

They can be differentiated by their vocalizations and some visual cues, but rock and American pipit are not found sympatrically except as vagrant individuals.

[4] The first thing American pipits do when they arrive on the breeding site, during snowmelt, is pairing.

Indeed, males will start to fight one on one to win over the female and pair with it during the entire breeding season.

The moment is also very important because the melting snow implies an increase in arthropods abundance, which constitute the main food source for these birds.

Nests are most often found on the ground in dry or wet meadows, always with a helpful protection, but they are never placed in shrubs or trees.

In general, American pipits continuously lay eggs over a period of 4 to 5 days after snow-melt (in April–May) until mid-July.

[16] The clutch size is usually 5 eggs but it can vary according to snowfalls, the parents' reproductive ability and predation.