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Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito) Alternate name(s): "Large-headed Robin", "Pale Robin", "Rufous-lored Robin" Size: 12-13.5 cm Body mass: 14-18 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 Pale-yellow Robins are small robins. They have a light-grey throat patch, grey ear coverts and an otherwise pale-yellow front. The frons has a small white patch; the eyes are surrounded by a thin light-brown eye-ring. The rest of the head and the back are olive-grey. The flight feathers are dark grey-brown, with olive leading edges. The tail is grey. The eyes have dark irises. The short, straight bill is black, while the legs and feet are pale orange-brown. Juveniles are browner than adult Pale-yellow Robins.

Taxonomy, classification See Pale-yellow 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 Pale-yellow Robin is available HERE . There are two races of Pale-yellow Robins, both of which are endemic to eastern Australia. Nominate race "capito" occurs along a coastal strip from northern NSW (roughly Booti Booti NP) northward to just North of Brisbane, QLD. The smaller race "nana" occurs only along a coastal strip about 200 km either way, North and South, of Cairns, QLD. Pale-yellow Robins have a preference for wet forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "capito" E. Scott reports spotting a Pale-yellow Robin, race "capito", in Toonumbar NP, NSW, in April 2016. M. Eaton spotted a Pale-yellow Robin, race "capito", in Springbrook NP, QLD, in April 2017. Another was found in D'Aguilar NP, near Mount Mee, QLD, in December 2019. Although not seen, calls of a Pale-yellow Robin, race "capito", were recorded by us at Dorrigo NP, NSW, in March 2015. Race "nana" B. Hensen reports spotting Pale-yellow Robins, race "nana", at Julatten, QLD, in July 2013, and again in November 2018. M. Eaton found Pale-yellow Robins, race "nana", at Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, in July 2018 and again in November 2018. Another was found at Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, in September 2020. The next sighting was at Yungaburra, QLD, in August 2023, followed by another at Julatten, QLD, in June 2024. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports finding a Pale-yellow Robin, race "nana", at Mossman Gorge, QLD, in October 2019.

Photos

Race "capito"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar NP, NSW, April 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar NP, NSW, April 2016]

Near-lateral view of a moulting Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[D'Aguilar NP, near Mount Mee, QLD, December 2019]

Lateral view of a moulting Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[D'Aguilar NP, near Mount Mee, QLD, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Pale-yellow Robin; note the yellowish legs (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Springbrook NP, QLD, April 2017]

Race "nana"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Frontal view of a Pale-yellow Robin looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mossman Gorge, QLD, October 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2013]

Near-lateral view of a Pale-yellow Robin looking at the observer (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2013]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Lodge, Julatten, QLD, October 2024]

Near-lateral view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, June 2024]

Near-lateral view of a moulting(?) Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Lateral view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2018]

Leucistic Pale-yellow Robin

Close-up lateral view of a leucistic Pale-yellow Robin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Curtin Fig Tree, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, November 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature Pale-yellow Robin; note the rufous-bordered flight feathers and rufous-tipped wing coverts
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yungaburra, QLD, August 2023]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair/family clan

Pale-yellow Robins are communal in the sense that pairs tend to use one or more males from a previous clutch to help raise their new brood. But the family clan as an entity/ensemble is territorial.

Lateral view of a Pale-yellow Robin looking towards the observer; like several other species of robins, they like to hunt by hanging on to vertical trunks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yungaburra, QLD, August 2023]

In dry conditions even rainforest birds such as Pale-yellow Robins make use of a bird bath (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

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.

palyrob_20150328.m4a

capito (NE NSW)

?

© MD

More Pale-yellow 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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