19

Rose Robin (Petroica rosea) Alternate name(s): "Rose-breasted Robin" Size: 10-12 cm Body mass: 6-11 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 Rose Robins are relatively small robins. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Rose Robins have a conspicuous rose-coloured chest. The belly, vent and undertail are white. The head, except for a tiny white spot on the frons, and all of the back, including the upperwings, are deep-grey. Female Rose Robins have a very pale-rose chest, white belly, vent and undertail, greyish-brown head and back and dark-grey upperwings (with a white stripe) and uppertail. The bill of both sexes is dark-grey, the legs and feet are grey; the irises are dark. Juveniles have cryptic plumage, with a mostly reddish-brown front and a scalloped brown back. Twitcher's tip Compared to Pink Robins, Rose Robins have a somewhat lighter front and a grey back.

Taxonomy, classification See Rose 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 Rose Robin is available HERE . Rose Robins are endemic to Australia. They are found along the coastal fringe in the East and South-East of the Australian continent and in the Great Dividing Range. Their range extends from about the Whitsundays, QLD, in the North to the south-eastern tip of SA in the South. They rarely venture out into the semi-arid plains of the interior, but can occasionally extend their range inland by several hundred km, into central QLD and NSW and also into the area around Adelaide, SA. Rose Robins can usually be found in dry, open forest. During the breeding season they have a preference for gullies running through these forests, usually on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range (GDR). Outside the breeding season they disperse and are also found to the west of the GDR.

Sightings Click here for sighting information A Rose Robin was first spotted by us in Byfield NP, QLD, in July 2009. We spotted a Rose Robin at Waa Gorge, Mt. Kaputar NP, in July 2013. Earlier the same day C. Hayne had spotted a female bird at the same location. C. Hayne also spotted Rose Robins at Biniguy, NSW, earlier in July 2013. In August 2021 another was found by us in the Upper Bullawa Creek section of Mt. Kaputar NP. In May 2014, A. Ross-Taylor spotted a single male Rose Robin at Springbrook NP, Gold Coast, QLD. Rose Robins have also been heard by us on various occasions in rainforest at Dorrigo NP R. Plumtree reports spotting a Rose Robin at Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, in February 2017, and along FDA Road, Mt Nunniong, East Gippsland, VIC, in September 2017. M. Eaton reports spotting a Rose Robin at Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, in April 2017 and in Gatton, QLD, in July 2017. Another was found in Moggill Regional Park, QLD, in May 2019. Another was found at Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, in May 2020. B. Hensen reports finding Rose Robins at St. Albans, NSW, in May 2018 and again in August 2019. M. Eaton found a Rose Robin at Gloucester Tops, Barrington Tops NP, NSW, in December 2019. M. Fleming reports finding two Rose Robins at Warrumbungle NP, near Coonabarabran, NSW, in May 2022. This location is on the western edge of the species' range. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted a Rose Robin at Lamington NP, Gold Coast hinterland, QLD, in November 2020.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, August 2019]

Frontal view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, August 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[FDA Road, Mt Nunniong, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2017]

Near-frontal view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[FDA Road, Mt Nunniong, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2017]

Lateral view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, August 2019]

Lateral view of a male Rose Robin launching itself into the air (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, August 2019]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Frontal view of a female Rose Robin in dense underbrush
[Byfield NP, QLD, July 2009]

Near-lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Near-lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, May 2019]

Female Rose Robin taking a bath (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gatton, QLD, July 2017]

Lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, May 2019]

Lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Lateral view of a female Rose Robin with its tail cocked (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Partly obscured lateral view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Rose Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Pair

Ventral view of a male Rose Robin fluttering its wing and cocking its tail (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Rose Robin fluttering its wing and fanning its tail; note that this bird is in a wing moult
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, May 2018]

Food, Diet

Adults: Small insects

Dependents: As adults

Water intake: Daily

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

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.

roserob_20210820.m4a	(NW NSW)	Territorial call (male)	© MD
roserob_20231005.m4a	(E NSW)	Territorial call (male)	© MD
roserob_20150328.m4a	(NE NSW)	Territorial call (male)	© MD

More Rose 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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