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Eastern Yellow RobinAlternate name(s): "Bark Robin", "Creek Robin", "Yellow Bob" ![]() Size: 15-16 cm Weight: 15-27 g |
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Similar |
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See Eastern
Yellow Robin at Wikipedia ![]() |
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
Race "australis"
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ADULT |
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PAIR |
Pair of Eastern Yellow Robins hunting off a tree trunk
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2015]
Sex unknown |
Adult Eastern Yellow Robin, race "australis", on its nest
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, September 2012]
Eastern Yellow Robin, race "australis", on its nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin bringing food for its chicks
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin bringing food for its chicks
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin removing a chick's discharge to keep the nest
clean (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Near-frontal view of a fledgling Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2017]
Near-lateral view of a fledgling Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2017]
Lateral view of a fledgling Eastern Yellow Robin that does not
have tail feathers yet (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]
Near-dorsal view of a fledgling Eastern Yellow Robin, here seen
stretching its wings (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]
Near-dorsal view of a fledgling Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]
Race "chrysorrhoa"
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ADULT |
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PAIR |
Lateral view of a pair of Eastern Yellow Robins
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Near Narrabri, NSW, May 2021]
Sex unknown |
Full-frontal view of a resting Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]
Frontal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Inskip Point, QLD, December 2017]
Close-up frontal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Julatten, QLD, December 2020]
Near-frontal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
[Gibraltar Range NP,
NSW, October 2007]
Close-up near-frontal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2022]
Near-frontal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
[Near Barraba, NSW, July 2007]
Near-frontal/ventral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eungella NP, near Mackay, QLD, July 2021]
Close-up near-lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Julatten, QLD, December 2020]
Near-lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eungella NP, near Mackay, QLD, July 2021]
Near-lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
[Gibraltar Range NP,
NSW, October 2007]
Near-lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin foraging on the ground
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Inskip Point, QLD, December 2017]
Lateral portrait of an Eastern Yellow Robin
[O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, May 2014]
Lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, August 2013]
Lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, July 2017]
Lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin "Jumping Jack Flash"
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Auburn River NP, QLD, October 2013]
Lateral view of an Eastern Yellow Robin showing very prominently the
bright-yellow rump giving race "chrysorrhoa" its name
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Kyogle, NSW, July 2013]
Near-dorsal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, December 2017]
Near-dorsal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin looking at the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eungella NP, near Mackay, QLD, July 2021]
Near-dorsal view of an Eastern Yellow Robin
[Cranky Rock Recreation Reserve, near Warialda, NSW, July 2016]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of an immature Eastern Yellow Robin, right,
with an adult
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Julatten, QLD, December 2020]
Frontal view of an immature Eastern Yellow Robin, right,
with an adult now showing its yellow rump
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Julatten, QLD, December 2020]
Near-frontal view of a sub-adult Eastern Yellow Robin with
near-complete adult
plumage
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, April 2017]
Frontal view of a sub-adult Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ravensbourne NP,
QLD, January 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a sub-adult Eastern Yellow Robin
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, February 2012]
Dorsal view of a sub-adult Eastern Yellow Robin hanging on
to the bark of a tree while looking for prey
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, February 2012]
Lateral view of a juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]
Eastern Yellow Robin with a dependent juvenile
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP,
QLD, February 2018]
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Twitcher's tip |
Eastern Yellow Robins are the birds with the most varied plumages while maturing (and probably the most scruffy-looking immature birds in the Australian bird world...). Various colour schemes can be seen in the photos below that are sorted approximately in an inverse sequence with age.
A comparison with the photo at the top of this page and
the photo just below this one shows how the "collar" just under
the grey chin patch is the first part of the breast plumage to
develop the characteristic bright-yellow hue
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2008]
Here a somewhat younger juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin that has only a few specks left in its now almost entirely yellow breast plumage
This Eastern Yellow Robin looks particularly ragged (photo courtesy
of C. Kellenberg)
As the Eastern Yellow Robin shown above, this one still has some remnant
brown plumage around its
eyes and on its crown
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, February 2012]
This mottled Eastern Yellow Robin is in the process of moulting into
its adult plumage
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2008]
Juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin with a yellow chin patch
[Leard State Forest, NSW, November 2014]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jun - Jan | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 14 - 20 days | Fledging age: 12 - 22 days |
Given the right conditions, Eastern Yellow Robins can breed almost any time of the year, with the exception of April.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Bark, grass, webs, moss | Height above ground: 1 - 6 m |
Eastern Yellow Robin, race "chrysorrhoa", on its nest (photo courtesy of
I. Duncan)
[South West Rocks, NSW, September 2012]
Eastern Yellow Robin, race "chrysorrhoa", on its nest
in temperate rainforest - note how this nest differs from
others made in drier habitats; this is the bird whose
warning
calls were recorded on 22 September 2016
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, September 2016]
This Eastern Yellow Robin nest was found only 30 cm off the ground in the
first major fork of a Cassinia shrub
(photo courtesy of J. Drewit)
[15 km West of Armidale, NSW, November 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin, race "australis", feeding first one chick...
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, September 2018]
... then the other (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, September 2018]
Three Eastern Yellow Robin chicks in their nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin bringing food for its chicks
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin bringing food for its chicks
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
Eastern Yellow Robin chicks (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2016]
Eastern Yellow Robin removing a chick's discharge to keep the nest
clean (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]
One Eastern Yellow Robin (male?) feeding its partner (the female?)
who is brooding young chicks
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2016]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 22 x 16 mm | Colour: Blueish-grey, with sparse brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
Edge of an Eastern Yellow Robin egg visible inside the nest;
note the eucalypt
leaves in the nest
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2018]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Pair |
The ease with which Eastern Yellow Robins can be observed comes at a price. In dense underbrush Eastern Yellow Robins are used by other bird species as "sentries". When their alarm call is heard, other birds will leave the area or hide in the underbrush.
One peculiarity that we noticed in May of 2006 is that Eastern Yellow Robins came to take a bath at our place late after sunset, in the last twilight of the day, when most other birds had already settled on their roosts.
And, incredibly, in a stand-off between a Willie Wagtail and an Eastern Yellow Robin over the rights to their favourite hunting ground, the latter came out on top!
Usually Eastern Yellow Robins are found near the ground, hunting from perches that are typically less than 3 m high. However, occasionally we have seen them high up in eucalypt trees, at 10-20 m above ground.
At Dorrigo National Park we observed Eastern Yellow Robins that followed larger birds working through leaf litter (such as Superb Lyrebirds and Australian Brush-Turkeys) and then opportunistically picked their prey out of the dugouts.
R. Plumtree reports observing a brooding Eastern Yellow Robin swallowing a sac with poo of one of the chicks, rather than disposing of it.
Eastern Yellow Robins usually hunt in underbrush (photo courtesy
of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2013]
Eastern Yellow Robins usually hunt in underbrush, e.g. along
rivers and creeks,
but venture out into more open areas, too, e.g. around rockpools
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
Distant view of an Eastern Yellow Robins taking a bath in a
rockpool
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
Just like other robins, Eastern
Yellow Robins tend to let their wings droop and also cock their tails
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, July 2013]
Eastern Yellow Robin hunting off a low perch (photo courtesy of
C. Hayne)
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, March 2014]
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Food, Diet |
Adults: Small insects | Dependents: As adults | Water intake: Daily |
Like all other robins (all families), Eastern Yellow Robins are flycatchers. Most robins hunt for insects from low to mid-level perches.
Eastern Yellow Robin with its prey, a juicy worm (photo courtesy of
A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, QLD, May 2014]
This Eastern Yellow Robin has found a larva
[Dorrigo NP, NSW,
March 2015]
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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.
eyelrob_20140110.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
eyelrob_20191117.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
"Chop-chop" territorial call | © MD | |
eyelrob_20171101.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
"Chop-chop" territorial calls | © MD | |
eyelrob_20171101_2.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
"Chop-chop" territorial calls Q&A | © MD | |
eyelrob_20141016.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
"Chop-chop" territorial calls | © MD | |
eyelrob_20141023_2.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
"Chop-chop" territorial calls Q&A | © MD | |
eyelrob_20180217.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls? | © MD | |
eyelrob_20140129.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls? (total 3.5 min) | © MD | |
eyelrob_20160505.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls? (break of dawn) | © MD | |
eyelrob_20210424.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Warning calls | © MD | |
eyelrob_20141119.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (pair with juveniles) | © MD | |
eyelrob_20160922.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Warning calls? (female? on nest) | © MD | |
eyelrob_art_20131113.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (SE QLD) |
Alarm calls | © ART | |
eyelrob_20141023.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
Annoyed | © MD | |
eyelrob_20200719.m4a |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
"Squeaky" calls | © MD | |
eyelrob_20160505_2.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
? (suspicious) | © MD | |
eyelrob_20151004.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
? (at nightfall) | © MD | |
eyelrob_20140313.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (NW NSW) |
? | © MD |

We have also recorded an Eastern Yellow Robin's wing beat.
eyelrob_20160406.mp3 |
chrysorrhoa (N NSW) |
Low flight | © MD |
More Eastern Yellow Robin sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.