19

Buff-sided Robin (Poecilodryas cerviniventris) Alternate name(s): "Buff-sided Shrike-robin", "Buff-sided Flycatcher" Size: 15-17 cm Body mass: 15-25 g

Australia: Family Group 19 Family Group 19 Table Southern Scrub-robin Northern Scrub-robin Hooded Robin Dusky Robin Rose Robin Pink Robin Flame Robin Scarlet Robin Norfolk Robin Red-capped Robin Grey-headed Robin White-browed Robin Buff-sided Robin Mangrove Robin White-breasted Robin Western Yellow Robin Eastern Yellow Robin Pale-yellow Robin White-faced Robin Yellow-legged Flycatcher Lemon-bellied Flycatcher Jacky Winter Logrunner Chowchilla White-browed Babbler Hall's Babbler Grey-crowned Babbler Chestnut-crowned Babbler Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Buff-sided Robins are large robins. They have a wide dark-brown eye band, a narrower stripe below the eye and all dark-brown crown and back, down to the uppertail. Their broad eyebrow, a short, narrow stripe under the eye and the front from the throat to the undertail coverts are all white. The flanks are buff. The flight feathers are dark grey-brown, with a white bar pattern. The uppertail has a white terminal band. The eyes have dark irises. The stout bill is black; the legs and feet are also black, with a lighter underside.

Taxonomy, classification See Buff-sided Robin at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Buff-sided Robins were formerly considered to be a race of the White-browed Robin ("Poecilodryas superciliosa"), but have since been given full species status.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Buff-sided Robin is available HERE . Buff-sided Robins are endemic to Australia. They populate the tropical North of the continent, from the Kimberley, WA, via the entire Top End of the NT and the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, to its southern tip in QLD. Buff-sided Robins have a preference for riparian forest, mangroves and other thickets along tropical watercourses.

Sightings Click here for sighting information B. Hensen reports spotting Buff-sided Robins at the Margaret River crossing, Marrakai track, NT, in August 2012. H. Mouritsen reports spotting a Buff-sided Robin near Darwin, NT, in October 2015. M. Mearns reports spotting Buff-sided Robins at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, far-western QLD, in November 2012, in July 2016 and again in September 2019. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours also spotted the species at nearby Adels Grove in December 2020. This location is on the eastern edge of the species' range. M. Eaton found Buff-sided Robins in Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2020. Others were found at the golf club in Kununurra, WA, in June 2026. P. Brown reports spotting Buff-sided Robins at the Douglas River crossing, Oolloo Road, Douglas-Daly, NT, in January 2021, and at Timber Creek, NT, in March 2021.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Near-lateral/near-dorsal view of a pair of Buff-sided Robins (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kununurra Golf Club, WA, June 2026]

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Buff-sided Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kununurra Golf Club, WA, June 2026]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Buff-sided Robin looking at the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kununurra Golf Club, WA, June 2026]

Near-frontal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Buff-sided Robin issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, November 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Buff-sided Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kununurra Golf Club, WA, June 2026]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Partly obscured lateral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kununurra Golf Club, WA, June 2026]

Near-dorsal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Buff-sided Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a Buff-sided Robin with its tail cocked (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Timber Creek, NT, March 2021]

Dorsal view of a Buff-sided Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

bufrobn_pb_20220105_2.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?)	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20210118_2.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?)	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20210118_1.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?)	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20210118_4.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?)	© PB
bufrobn_me_20260620_2.m4a	(E WA)	Contact calls(?)	© ME
bufrobn_me_20260620_3.m4a	(E WA)	Contact calls(?)	© ME
bufrobn_me_20260620.m4a	(E WA)	Contact calls(?) (+ Rufous Whistler)	© ME
bufrobn_pb_20210118_3.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?) (+ Shining Flycatcher)	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20210118.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?) (+ Australian Koel)	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20220105_4.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?) (+ Brush Cuckoo)	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20220105.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls(?) (+ White-gaped Honeyeater)	© PB
bufrobn_me_20200724.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Territorial calls	© ME
bufrobn_me_20200724_2.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Territorial calls	© ME
bufrobn_pb_20210811.m4a	(Top End, NT)	?	© PB
bufrobn_pb_20220105_3.m4a	(Top End, NT)	?	© PB

More Buff-sided Robin sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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