19

Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata) Alternate name(s): "Black-and-white Robin", "Black Robin", "Pied Robin" Aboriginal name(s): Race "westralensis": "djilbot", "dodoongle", "kobamodjin" (WA) Size: 15-17 cm Body mass: 17-28 g

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Hooded Robins are relatively large robins. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Hooded Robins are all black-and-white, with an entirely black head and neck, a white front (chest, shoulders, belly, vent and undertail coverts) and a black back (mantle, back, rump and tail). The black wings have a bold white bar pattern. The bill is dark-grey. Female Hooded Robins have a grey head and neck, turning lighter grey down the chest towards the off-white belly and vent. The back is brownish-grey, with a dark-grey tail and dark-grey wing feathers that have a white bar pattern as the males'. The bill is grey. The eyes of both sexes have dark irises; the legs and feet are grey. Juvenile Hooded Robins have a highly cryptic dark brown-grey plumage with bold lighter-grey streaking. The wings are darker grey, the belly and vent are off-white.

Taxonomy, classification See Hooded Robin at Wikipedia .

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 Hooded Robin is available HERE . NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species. Hooded Robins are endemic to Australia. There are four races of Hooded Robins - for details see a field guide. All together they populate most of the Australian continent, with only a few exceptions. They are not found in the most arid parts, such as the Nullarbor, parts of the Great Victoria Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Simpson Desert. They are also absent from Cape York peninsula and the coast of QLD and the far North Coast of NSW, plus the South coast of VIC. They also avoid small coastal areas from far-northern WA to the NT. The range of nominate race "cucullata" extends from about the base of Eyre peninsula eastwards, to the South of the Lake Eyre Basin, through most of (but not coastal) VIC and inland NSW (except the far north-western corner, i.e. the Paroo River catchment and the Darling River to the West of Bourke), into a small area in southern central QLD. Race "picata" is found in that far north-western part of NSW, through central QLD (except the coastal margin and Cape York peninsula), as far North as Mt. Isa, all around the Lake Eyre Basin into the eastern NT, part of the Top End and the Kimberley, up to Broome, WA (but not the coastal strip to the North of the Kimberley). Race "westralensis" is found in the semi-desert areas of western SA and most of WA (except the most arid regions). Race "melvillensis" is only found on islands off Darwin, NT. Hooded Robins can usually be found in dry forest, often around the fringes, hunting in more open, grassy areas. They are also present in mallee and other types of scrub.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "cucullata" Hooded Robins, race "cucullata", were one of the first bird species identified by us 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, in 2005. There they were permanent residents at the time. Later, after land-clearing, they disappeared from that location. For a number of years, until ca. 2008, they were also seen by us semi-regularly at a property 30 km North of Coonabarabran, NSW, on the southern edge of the Pilliga scrub. Again, development of the property led to the disappearance of the species. M. Eaton reports finding Hooded Robins, race "cucullata", at Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, in November 2017. R. Plumtree found a Hooded Robin, race "cucullata", at Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, in June 2018, November 2018 and again in March 2019. This location is at the southern edge of the species' range. In May 2024, we found Hooded Robins, race "cucullata", at Narran Lakes NR, NSW. Race "picata" In September 2012 a pair of Hooded Robins, race "picata", was spotted by us at Gundabooka NP, 50 km South of Bourke, NSW. M. Mearns reports spotting Hooded Robins, race "picata", at Arkaroola, Gammon Ranges, SA, in July 2015. M. Eaton reports finding Hooded Robins, race "picata", at Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, in September 2017 and again in August 2018. They were also found at Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, in June 2020. Others were found along the Winton to Jundah Road at the Lark Quarry turn-off, QLD. P. Brown found Hooded Robins, race "picata", on the Bullita Track, near Timer Creek, NT, in March 2021. M. Eaton also spotted Hooded Robins, race "picata", along the Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, in June 2021. In June 2022, M. Eaton found Hooded Robins, race "picata", at the Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD.

Photos

Race "cucullata"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, November 2017]

Frontal/near-frontal view of two male Hooded Robins
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, March 2007]

Near-frontal view of a male Hooded Robin
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Near-lateral view of a male Hooded Robin looking sideways
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin looking towards the observer
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, November 2017]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, November 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, September 2006]

Dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, September 2006]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin in flight, with a view of the underwings (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin in flight, with a view of the upperwings (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, June 2018]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Hooded Robin looking sideways; note the off-white chin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, August 2018]

Lateral view of a female Hooded Robin looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Sheep Station Creek near Doctors Flat, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2019]

Lateral view of a female Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Sheep Station Creek near Doctors Flat, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female Hooded Robin
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, March 2007]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature male Hooded Robin looking towards the observer; note the grey chin
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, May 2006]

Lateral view of an immature male Hooded Robin; note the grey chin
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, May 2006]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Hooded Robin
[Narran Lakes NR, NSW, May 2024]

Lateral view of a dependent juvenile Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[December 2018]

Lateral view of a dependent juvenile Hooded Robin being fed by one of its parents
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[December 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Near Moree, NSW, January 2011]

Race "picata"

ADULT

PAIR

Near-frontal/ventral view of a pair of Hooded Robins looking sideways
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2012]

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

Frontal view of a male Hooded Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Frontal/ventral view of a male Hooded Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Hooded Robin looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Arkaroola, SA, July 2015]

Near-lateral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Hooded Robin
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Winton to Jundah Road, Lark Quarry turn-off, QLD, June 2025]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

Dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

Dorsal view of a male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

Frontal view of a female Hooded Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]

Frontal/ventral view of a female Hooded Robin
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2012]

Near-frontal view of a female Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female Hooded Robin looking sideways
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2012]

This female Hooded Robin is obviously over the Moon...
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of a female Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

Lateral view of a female Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Lateral view of a female Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature male Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, August 2018]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin with a dependent juvenile (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Track, near Timber Creek, NT, March 2021]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a juvenile Hooded Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Winton to Jundah Road, Lark Quarry turn-off, QLD, June 2025]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair

Food, Diet

Adults: Small insects

Dependents: As adults

Water intake: Daily

Like all other (families of) robins, Hooded Robins are flycatchers. Most robins hunt for insects or arachnids from low to mid-level perches.

Lateral view of a male Hooded Robin with its prey, a centipede (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, June 2018]

Lateral view of an immature male Hooded Robin with its prey
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

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