Pīpipi
Brown creeper
Mohoua novaeseelandiae
Their Story
Pīpipi (brown creeper) are small, lively songbirds native to the South and Stewart Islands. They are the smallest and most abundant of the three species in the endemic genus Mohoua, which also includes mōhua (yellowhead) and pōpokotea (whitehead).
Occasional sightings of pīpipi have been recorded within the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, though they are easily overlooked. Their plumage — shades of brown, grey and light buff — is subtle but cleanly defined, and males, females and juveniles look alike. In autumn and winter, pīpipi often join mixed flocks with silvereyes, grey warblers, fantails, and where present, kākāriki and mōhua.
They are far more often heard than seen, chattering constantly as they move through the canopy. Their song is a rapid, tumbling whistle — “like someone whistling while doing cartwheels,” as one observer put it.
Pīpipi feed mostly on invertebrates and occasionally on fruit, foraging from about two metres above ground up to the forest canopy. They seldom feed on the ground.
Breeding takes place from September to January. Pīpipi are monogamous and generally pair for life, only seeking a new mate if one dies. Females build small, deep nests high in the canopy and lay 2–4 eggs. The female incubates and broods the chicks, while both parents feed them once hatched. Fledglings leave the nest after 18–22 days and become independent at around 35–65 days.
As females re-nest, males care for fledglings — sometimes helped by non-breeding birds. Pairs may attempt up to four nests in a season, though usually only two broods are successful. During drought years, unsuccessful pairs may cooperate by bringing food to the nests of others.
In the 19th century, pīpipi were abundant, with large flocks often seen alongside tīeke in winter. Their numbers declined due to forest clearance, especially in eastern South Island areas, but appear to be stable today.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Populations are stable across the South and Stewart Islands.
Population
Widespread and locally common throughout South Island and Stewart Island forests. Occasionally recorded within the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
Voice
Constant, lively chatter interspersed with a rapid, tumbling song — often described as “whistling while doing cartwheels.”
Food
Feeds mainly on invertebrates and occasionally fruit, foraging from low branches to the upper canopy.
Subtle in colour though charming up close, pīpipi display a blend of brown and light-buff plumage with a grey face. Males, females, and juveniles look similar. They are small and subtle coloured birds, but they make their presence known with their loud and constant chattering calls in their small flocks.
Active and sociable, pīpipi often forage in small flocks, especially outside the breeding season. They feed mainly on invertebrates such as caterpillars, beetles, spiders, and occasionally fruit. Foraging occurs from a few metres above the ground up to the canopy — rarely on the forest floor. Their quick, tumbling whistles have been described as “like someone whistling while doing cartwheels.”
Breeding takes place from September to February. Pīpipi are monogamous, usually pairing for life. Females build deep, cup-shaped nests high in the canopy and lay 2–4 eggs. The female incubates and broods, while both parents feed the chicks once hatched. Fledglings leave the nest after 18–22 days and become independent within 35–65 days. Males may continue feeding fledglings as females begin new nests, and pairs may attempt up to four clutches per season — though two broods are typical. Remarkably, during drought years, unsuccessful pairs have been seen helping feed neighbouring young, showing rare cooperative behaviour.
Pīpipi inhabit native and exotic forests and shrublands throughout Te Waipounamu and Rakiura. Historically widespread across the South Island, they remain common in western and southern forests. Occasional sightings in the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary suggest the maturing forest may once again support this energetic species.
Once abundant across Aotearoa’s southern forests, pīpipi populations declined with large-scale forest clearance during the 19th century. Today, they are classed as Not Threatened and appear stable, though they have become rare in lowland forests and are vulnerable to introduced predators. Ongoing protection of mature beech and podocarp forests remains key to their survival.
Although not yet resident, pīpipi have been occasionally sighted within the Sanctuary’s upper forest. Their absence remains a small mystery, perhaps having missed the boat like the yellow-crowned kākāriki, which were not long ago heard in the Brook catchment, but have since become exceedingly rare in the Richmond Ranges.
🪶 Pīpipi often form mixed flocks with kākāriki, fantails, grey warblers, and mōhua — an adaptive strategy that may help spot predators or disturb insect food more effectively.
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🪶 Ngahere Neighbourhood: piriwai (spiny gilled mayfly)
Tiny, ancient, and found only in Aotearoa — the spiny gilled mayfly (Coloburiscus humeralis) spends up to four years underwater before living just a few days as an adult.
Piriwai can only survive in clean, fast-flowing streams. Its larvae cling to river rocks, filtering food from the water with tiny hair-like gills. They are an important sign of healthy freshwater ecosystems, so much so that this species gets a rating of 8-9 on the sensitivity/stream health rating. All native stream macroinvertebrates are ranked in terms of their sensitivity and used as a bioindicator of stream health.
The Sanctuary stream is a reference site for stream health and represents a `pure`, unadulterated site and thus is highly diverse in sensitive stream invertebrates.
📸 Photo: Taken by Henry Hart here at the Sanctuary
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #AotearoaNature #FreshwaterLife #NelsonTasman #Conservation #Piriwai
Feb 17
Their Raucous Call Returns: Kākā Set to Reclaim the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. 🦜
This March, we’re scheduled to welcome two male and one female kākā fledglings from the Dunedin Botanic Garden kākā breeding programme. There’s also the potential for a further four birds to arrive in May.
Kākā are unique to Aotearoa and are nationally vulnerable, with populations heavily impacted by introduced predators. Releasing them into a pest-free sanctuary with ideal habitat (old growth beech forest) gives them the best chance to thrive.
This release will build on years of species translocations as part of the Sanctuary’s ambitious ecosystem restoration efforts, including:
🏠 Kākāriki karaka in 2021
🏠 Powelliphanta hochstetteri consobrina (giant snails) in 2021
🏠 Tuatara in November 2024 and May 2025
🏠 Kiwi in May 2025
Over the coming weeks, our team will be busy planning and preparing for this important translocation. We’ll share more details on timing and what to expect closer to the date.
Thank you to our community of donors, volunteers, business supporters, and Sanctuary Members for continuing to back the Sanctuary — your support is vital to every species return. We can’t wait to celebrate this next milestone with you.
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #Kākā #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #PredatorFree #NativeWildlife #Biodiversity
Feb 10
Win prizes for your best summer photo at the Sanctuary 📸🏆☀️
This season, we want to see the Sanctuary through your lens — the bright light through the canopy, the textures of the forest floor, and the tiny details that make summer feel alive.
Enter our Summer Photography Competition (part of our Sanctuary Seasons series) and you could win:
🏆 Instant camera (Junior Photography winner)
🌙 Family ticket to a guided night tour
📰 Feature in our newsletter + social media
🖼️ Printed display at the Visitor Centre
📅 Entries close 28 February - Submit your entries via our website: Link in bio
Photo credit: Helen Power - Entry from the spring photography competition
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #SanctuarySeasons #Ngahere #NaturePhotography #NZWildlife #NelsonTasman #VisitNelson #NZHikes #EcoTourismNZ #ConservationStorytelling
Feb 4
Looking for a unique and memorable date night? 🌙🌲
This February, we’re introducing Date Me Darling — private, curated date nights inside the Sanctuary at dusk.
Three styled locations. One couple at a time. You’ll have a styled spot along the main loop track, locally sourced food and drinks, a few games to share, and time to slow down together as the forest shifts into evening.
Beech Glade: for when you want the world to fall away — deeply hidden, totally private, just you and the hush of the forest.
River: crystal clear water, canopy above, flickering lights — the kind of setup you usually only see on Instagram.
Meadow: open sky, long grass, and the forest standing quietly at the edges like it knows not to interrupt.
Bookings are open now (limited spaces in February only so don’t miss out!): Link in bio
#DateMeDarling #NelsonNZ #NelsonTasman #ThingsToDoNelson #DateNightIdeas #NatureLovers #SupportLocalNZ #ConservationNZ #BrookWaimāramaSanctuary
Feb 3
Two cute to be true?
Brook Waimārama Sanctuary and @savethekiwinz teams have been busy over the past few days tracking and recapturing kiwi to remove their transmitters. Thanks to a huge team effort, all ten males were recaptured within just three days.
Some nest burrows held a surprise or two — in several cases a female was present, and a couple even contained chicks. One burrow amazed us all, with not one but two adorable chicks 😍
All chicks are fully independent at this stage of the season, and after quick health checks and transmitter removal, all adult kiwi were safely returned to their burrows.
This special footage was captured by kiwi handler Tamsin from Save the Kiwi, who led the transmitter removal mahi.
We estimate the 20 females and 21 males released in May last year have already produced around 10–15 kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) chicks in their very first breeding season — a strong sign the habitat is just right.
With transmitters now removed from all ten males, the kiwi are completely free, with no further handling needed. Annual kiwi call counts by staff and volunteers will help track the growing population across our 690 ha, ring-fenced, pest-free sanctuary.
Credit: Video courtesy of Tamsin Ward-Smith, Save the Kiwi
Thanks to our partnership with @terunangaotoa Ngati Toa and Save the Kiwi
#kiwipukupuku #littlespottedkiwi #brookwaimaramasanctuary #nelson #thetopofthesouth #conservation #biodiversity #nativebirds #natureloversnz #newzealandwildlife #pestfree #ringfencedsanctuary #conservationinaction
Jan 29
🎻 45 min string quartet concert at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
Come and hear a dynamic young string quartet perform a 45 min concert at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. We welcome everyone to come along, and bring anyone you think might be curious to hear some classical music in a relaxed environment.
The @antipodes.quartet is part of the Fellowship Ensemble Programme, a joint venture between the @adamchambermusicfestival, @newzealandstringquartet and @chambermusicnz, as a career-development experience offered to four of this country’s most promising young string players.
The Antipodes Quartet are Eden Annesley (violin), Mana Waiariki (violin), Tal Amoore (viola) and Lavinnia Rae (cello).
On this occasion, Brook Waimārama Sanctuary are welcoming everyone at local prices: Adult $15, Child $9; Family $35 (on the door)
Find out more: (Link in bio)
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #NelsonNZ #Whakatū #WhatsonNelson #NelsonTasman #LiveMusicNZ #ChamberMusicNZ #StringQuartet #ClassicalMusicNZ #AdamChamberMusicFestival #NewZealandStringQuartet #ChamberMusicNewZealand #FamilyFriendly #NatureAndCulture #SupportLocalArts
Jan 27
