Pipipi

Mohoua novaeseelandiae

Photo by Glenda Rees (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
pipipi (en); pipipi (pt); mohoua pipipi (fr); mohoua pipipí (es); graubraunköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, only being found in the South Island mainland and the small offshore islands of Stewart island and Codfish island.

Size:
These birds are 13 cm long and weigh 11-13,5 g.

Habitat:
This species is mostly found in temperate forests and scrublands, and also in exotic pine plantations, from sea level to the upper alpine limit.

Diet:
Pipipis are insectivorous, gleaning various insects from the branches and leaves.

Breeding:
The pipipi breeds in September-February.  The female builds the nest, a deep cup made of bark strips, moss, lichens, and dry leaves skeletons held together by spider webs. The nest is lined with grass and a few feathers, and placed in dense foliage in the forest canopy or in dense scrubs or vines in the forest understory. The female lays 2-4 eggs which she incubates alone for 17-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a restricted breeding range, but it is described as locally common and widespread. This population is in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and predation by introduced mammalian predators such as cats, dogs and rats, but it is not considered threatened at present.