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Pink Robin (Petroica rodinogaster) Alternate name(s): "Pink-breasted Robin", "Magenta-breasted Robin" Size: 11.5-13 cm Body mass: 8-12 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 Pink Robins are small robins. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Pink Robins have a conspicuous pink chest and belly. The vent is white, the undertail is grey. The head, except for a small white spot on the frons, throat and all of the back, including the upperwings, are black. The bill is black. Female Pink Robins are almost entirely brown, with a very faint pink tint on the chest. The wings are brown and dark brownish-grey. Females have a brown bill. Females also have lighter, brownish-grey legs and feet than males, whose legs and feet are darker grey. The irises of both sexes are dark. Juveniles have cryptic plumage that is scalloped reddish-brown, with some darker brown on the wings. Except for the scalloping they resemble females. Twitcher's tip Compared to Rose Robins, Pink Robins have a somewhat darker front and a black back.

Taxonomy, classification See Pink 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 Pink Robin is available HERE . There are two races of Pink Robins, both of which are endemic to Australia. Nominate race "rodinogaster" is found only in Tasmania and on some of the islands along Bass Strait. Race "inexpectata" populates the far south-eastern part of the Australian continent. Their range extends from about Woollongong, NSW, inland to Canberra, ACT, and southward from there, throughout the southern half of VIC, and westward to the area around Adelaide, SA. Their core breeding range is south-eastern VIC only. Pink Robins have a preference for dense gullies of tall open forest. During the time of dispersal they venture into more open forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "rodinogaster" D. Wilczynska reports spotting a male Pink Robin, race "rodinogaster", at Liffey Falls, 30 km South of Deloraine, on the edge of forest on the central plateau, TAS, in March 2015. M. Eaton found Pink Robins, race "rodinogaster", at Mt. Wellington, Hobart, TAS, in April 2021, and at Cradle Mountain, TAS, in September 2021. Race "inexpectata" R. Plumtree reports spotting a male Pink Robin, race "inexpectata", along Mellick Munjie Road, NNW of Buchan, East Gippsland, VIC, in May 2014. Another Pink Robin, race "inexpectata", was found by R. Plumtree at Great Otway NP, VIC, in September 2018. More sightings of the species at the same location followed in May 2019 and in September 2019.

Photos

Race "rodinogaster"

ADULT

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Frontal view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Pink Robin issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Wellington, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Wellington, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral view of a male Pink Robin eye-balling its "opponent" in the mirror (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Liffey Falls, 30 km South of Deloraine, TAS, March 2015]

Dorsal view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Liffey Falls, 30 km South of Deloraine, TAS, March 2015]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a female Pink Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Wellington, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Race "inexpectata"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Buchan, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2014]

Near-lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, September 2018]

Lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, September 2019]

Lateral view of a male Pink Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, September 2018]

Dorsal view of the same male Pink Robin as shown above (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Buchan, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2014]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Pink Robin; note the characteristic rufous wing bars (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, May 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a female Pink Robin with its prey, a moth or butterfly (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, May 2019]

Lateral view of a female Pink Robin swallowing its prey (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, May 2019]

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.

pinkrob_me_20210923_2.m4a	rodinogaster (NW TAS)	Territorial calls? (male)	© ME
pinkrob_me_20210923.m4a	rodinogaster (NW TAS)	Territorial calls? (male)	© ME

More Pink 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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