The Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris) or Tītipounamu (Maori) is New Zealand's smallest endemic bird with fully grown adults reaching around 8 cm in length. The male Rifleman is bright green on the dorsal side while the female is of a more somber brownish tone and her head and back are flecked with ochre. Both birds are white on their under surfaces and have white eyebrow stripes. The Rifleman is insectivorous and searches for maggots and small insects on tree trunks and among leaf litter on the forest floor.
Piano Flat is part of the Waikaia Forest which is a large island of beech forest, nestled in the mountain farmlands of northern Southland. Piano Flat provides a picnic area, camping ground and several walking tracks. It is also home to various native birds, insects, bats and deer.
