Story: Birds of mountains and open country

The New Zealand pipit has a dark stripe across the eye, below a prominent pale eyebrow. Its upper body plumage has contrasting shades of brown, edged with pale buff. This pipit, perched on the flower stem of a speargrass plant, is darker than most. Pipits live in open country from the alpine zone down to sea level. This subspecies is found on the three main islands and on other islands within 30 kilometres of the mainland.