Rose robin

Petroica rosea

Common name:

rose robin (en); rouxinol-rosado (pt); miro rosé (fr); petroica rosada (es); rosenschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Petroicidae

Range:

The rose robin is endemic to Australia, being found in the south-easternmost areas of the country, along the coast and Great Dividing Range from south-east Queensland down to Victoria.

Size:

These birds are 11-13 cm long and weigh 8 g.

Habitat:

Rose robins are found in wet sclerophyll forests and rainforests during spring and summer, moving into drier, more open habitats during autumn and winter. They may sometimes occur in farmland and town gardens when migrating.

Diet:

They feed on insects and other small invertebrates which they mostly take from the upper to mid-canopy, but they will also feed from the ground.

Breeding:

Rose robins breed in September-January. The nest is a neat, deep cup, placed towards the outer end of a branch or in a tree fork, and made of green moss, with some twigs and bark, lined with plant down or fur and camouflaged with lichen. The female lays 2-3 pale green or blue-grey eggs marked with brownish-purple spots, which she incubates alone for 16 days. Both parents feed the chicks and each pair may produce up to 3 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is reported to be locally quite common. The population is estimated to be in decline following local extinctions owing to habitat loss, but it is not considered threatened at present.