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19

Scarlet Robin

(Petroica boodang)
Alternate name(s): "White-capped Robin", "Scarlet-breasted Robin", "Robin Redbreast*"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "campbelli": "kooba", "mendidi", "binibintj", "demclik", "koobadjit" (WA)

Size: 12-14 cm
Weight: 12-14 g

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Scarlet Robin at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "boodang"

ADULT

MALE

Note that the birds photographed in north-western inland NSW have much whiter flanks and vents than those from the southern parts of the continent, e.g. Kangaroo Island.

Frontal/ventral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
[Woods Reserve, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, NSW, February 2009]

Frontal view of a male Scarlet Robin - who can spot the near-perfect map of Australia? (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2015]

Near-lateral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Tenterfield, NSW, April 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Tenterfield, NSW, April 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Tenterfield, NSW, April 2017]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Dorsal view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Tenterfield, NSW, April 2017]

FEMALE

Note how much more charcoal-grey the head and back of the females shown here - especially the ones from Kangaroo Island - are compared to depictions in many field guides.

Frontal view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2018]

Frontal view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2019]

Lateral view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Tenterfield, NSW, April 2017]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oxley Wild Rivers NP, NSW, June 2017]

Dorsal view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Tenterfield, NSW, April 2017]

Male Scarlet Robin, right, and female, left, singing (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Alpine, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature male Scarlet Robin moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Mt. Cope, Falls Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Mt. Cope, Falls Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2017]

Race "campbelli"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Manjimup, WA, March 2015]

Near-lateral view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dryandra Woodland, WA, August 2015]

Near-dorsal view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Manjimup, WA, March 2015]

Race "leggii"

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]

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

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Scarlet Robin in the bathtub (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Scarlet Robin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2021]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Partly migratory Elementary unit: Pair

Food, Diet

Adults: Small insects Dependents: As adults Water intake: Daily

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

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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