The Australasian Pipit is a well-camouflaged brown ground-dwelling bird. It has darker brown streaks above, and has pale creamy white stripes on the eyebrows and below the cheeks. The underparts are creamy white, spotted and streaked dark on the breast. The wings and tail are dark brown, with the outermost tail feathers white. The eye is brown and the bill and feet are pale pink-grey. Seen on the ground in open country, this species often wags its tail up and down while foraging. It was previously called Richard’s Pipit.