New Zealand Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

New Zealand Pipit

Anthus novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

16–19 cmLength24 gWeight

The New Zealand pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) is a fairly small passerine bird of open country in New Zealand and outlying islands.

Busiest months: January–February and November · Most records: New Zealand

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

New Zealand Pipit has been recorded at 81 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Awarua Bay – Eastern endNew Zealand238 records
  2. Tawharanui Regional ParkNew Zealand117 records
  3. Waipu Wildlife RefugeNew Zealand62 records
More places
  1. Miranda Shorebird CentreNew Zealand61 records
  2. GlentannerNew Zealand57 records
  3. Miranda – main hide/LimeworksNew Zealand52 records
  4. Riversdale BeachNew Zealand47 records
  5. Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) – Embankment RoadNew Zealand37 records
  6. Kapiti Island LodgeNew Zealand31 records
  7. Kaikoura – Point Kean Seal ColonyNew Zealand29 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The New Zealand pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) is a fairly small passerine bird of open country in New Zealand and outlying islands. It belongs to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the New Zealand Pipit?

The New Zealand Pipit is about 16–19 cm long and weighs around 24 g.

Where does the New Zealand Pipit live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: New Zealand and outlying islands. It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the New Zealand Pipit?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the New Zealand Pipit endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the New Zealand Pipit as Least Concern.

What does the New Zealand Pipit eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the New Zealand Pipit in?

It belongs to the family Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
16–19 cm
Weight
24 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
84 mm
Tail
65 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
26 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: New Zealand and outlying islands

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Wagtails, Pipits Motacillidae
Genus
Anthus

Other birds in the genus Anthus

Richard's PipitRichard's PipitAnthus richardiPaddyfield PipitPaddyfield PipitAnthus rufulusAustralian PipitAustralian PipitAnthus australisAfrican PipitAfrican PipitAnthus cinnamomeusMountain PipitMountain PipitAnthus hoeschiBlyth's PipitBlyth's PipitAnthus godlewskiiTawny PipitTawny PipitAnthus campestrisLong-billed PipitLong-billed PipitAnthus similisNicholson's PipitNicholson's PipitAnthus nicholsoniWood PipitWood PipitAnthus nyassaeBuffy PipitBuffy PipitAnthus vaalensisPlain-backed PipitPlain-backed PipitAnthus leucophrys
New Zealand Pipit

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Saryu Mae 前 朝琉. ↗

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