Bird watch news May
Brown Creeper
Mohoua novaseelandiae
The Brown Creeper or Pīpipi, is one of three species of the subfamily Mohouinae found in New Zealand. The other two are the Whitehead of the North Island and the endangered Yellowhead or Mohua of the South Island. Mohouinae belong to the family Acanthizidae or Thornbills, which are distributed across Australia, Southeast Asia and Melanesia.
The Brown Creeper is the smallest of the three Mohouinae. At 13 cm long it is slightly larger than a silvereye (12 cm). Head and back are brown, face and neck grey. They are found in both native and exotic forests from sea level to alpine areas in the South and Stewart Islands. They were reported as abundant during the 19th century and during winter, flocks were often seen alongside Saddleback. Today, with dwindling saddleback numbers, Brown Creeper are more likely to be found in the company of Silvereyes, Grey Warblers and other small forest birds.
They are primarily insectivorous and prefer to forage high in the forest canopy and are therefore more likely to be heard than seen. They chatter incessantly to one another as they travel through the trees. The male’s song is distinctive, to me it sounds like someone whistling while doing cartwheels. Perhaps he is, as they often hang upside down to pick insects from the underside of leaves. For a listen, go to: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/small-forest-birds/7/3.
Breeding season extends from September to January. The female builds the small, deep nest, usually high in the canopy. The female incubates the 2-4 eggs while the male feeds both her and the chicks. A pair may have 2-3 broods in a season with the second or third occasionally parasitized by the Long-tailed Cuckoo (not to be confused with the Shining Cuckoo).
Speaking of confusion, please note that the New Zealand Brown Creeper is unrelated to the Brown Creeper found in North America. Our Mohouinaeare found nowhere else but New Zealand.
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