The pipipi (; Mohoua novaeseelandiae), also known as brown creeper, New Zealand creeper or New Zealand titmouse, 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. Taxonomy German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave the pipipi its first formal description in 1789. It is one of three species of bird from the Mohoua genus, including yellowhead, Mohoua ochrocephala and whitehead, Mohoua albicilla. Brown creepers however are the least known of the three species, despite being relatively common. This is due to them often being heard, but not seen as they live amongst the tree canopies and rarely feed on the ground. Their conversational song is also relatively indistinct (raspy calls) compared to other small bird species, making them further difficult to identify. Additionally, brown creepers were once included in their own genus, Finschia, but this was later changed as it was found the species shared similarities with yellowhead and whitehead within the Mohoua genus. "Pipipi" has been designated the official common name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). In terms of taxonomy, Mohoua novaeseelandiae, shares the common name “brown creeper” with another species of bird found in North America, Certhia americana, despite there being no recent lineages between the two species. Description A warm mix of brown and chestnut on the upper part of the bird whilst the lower section is a noticeably paler brown (Refer to Figure 1). The head is a mix of patches of chestnut brown and dark brown with spots and streaks. The face and zones behind it can be an ash/dark grey. The whiteish eye stripe is another distinguishing feature of brown creeper. The legs and beak are a pinkish – grey/brown colour. The tail is long, frayed and has a distinctive dark bar at the tip and the eyes are a dark reddish brown colour. The eggs are white – dark pink and are speckled reddish brown. They are about 2 cm long. The sexes and juveniles are very similar in terms of their appearance. You can tell the difference between the juveniles and adults before May as the juveniles have yellow bill flanges and dark brown legs. Juveniles are distinguishable by having a greyer head, i.e. less reddish-brown, in addition to lacking the white stripe behind the eye.