The wood pipit (Anthus nyassae), an inhabitant of miombo woodland in south-central Africa, was formerly treated as a subspecies of this bird but is now usually regarded as a separate species.

Some authorities also split Bannerman's pipit (Anthus (similis) bannermani), a bird of mountain grassland in West Africa.

A darker race travancoriensis was described by Sidney Dillon Ripley in 1953 for the form possibly restricted south of the Palghat Gap.

This is a medium-large pipit, 16–17.5 cm long, but is an undistinguished looking species on the ground, mainly sandy grey above and whitish or pale buff below.

The long-billed pipit's flight is strong and direct, and it gives a characteristic chupp call, similar to desert lark.