| Brown Creeper | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pachycephalidae |
| Genus: | Mohoua |
| Species: | M. novaeseelandiae |
| Binomial name | |
| Mohoua novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, 1789) |
|
The Brown Creeper (Mohoua novaeseelandiae), also known by its Māori name, Pipipi, is a small passerine bird endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. They are specialist insectivores, gleaning insects from branches and leaves. They have strong legs and toes for hanging upside down while feeding.[1]
In the late 19th century when flocks of Brown Creepers were still abundant, they would occasionally descend on slaughteryards in sheep stations when food was short to feed on the meat of butchered animals.[2]