The only pipit on these islands, they were quite tame, often walking on top of the shrubby vegetation but seldom pumping their tails. A population formerly on Campbell Island returned after the eradication of introduced rats on the main island. Taxonomy is complex and controversial. Sometimes lumped with widespread Richard's Pipit (Anthus richardi) but connection not supported by genetics. Now usually separated as Australasian Pipit with nine subspecies further separated into two groups, one in Australia and the other in New Zealand (HANZAB, Clements/eBird, HBW) with the nominate race on the mainland and three others in the Subantarctic.
However, these two groups further split into separate Australian and New Zealand species by IOC and HM4 following a recommendation by Schodde & Mason (1999). In general the New Zealand group differs from the Australian in having more diffuse streaking above, and a better defined supercilium. This individual represents the race A. n. aucklandicus which is confined to the Auckland and Campbell Islands. It is longer-billed and more yellowish-brown above cf. the nominate race found on the main islands. However they become darker with wear and there is some overlap. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS.
References:
Beauchamp, A.J. 2013. New Zealand pipit. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
Higgins, P.J.; Peter, J.M.; Cowling, S.J. (eds.) 2006. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Vol. 7, boatbill to starlings. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Schodde, R. & I.J. Mason, 1999. Directory of Australian birds. Passerines. CSIRO Publishing, Canberra.
Shirihai, H. (2007) A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. 2nd edition. A&C Black, London.
Tyler, S. (2017). Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/57767 on 25 February 2017).