Main Content
Scarlet Robin
Petroica boodang
Conservation Status
Vulnerable species in New South Wales (Threatened Species Conservation Act).
What does it look like?
It’s a small Australian robin that reaches 13 cm in length. The male has a black head and upperparts, with a conspicuous white forehead patch, white wing stripes and white tail-edges. The male has a bright scarlet-red chest and a white belly. The female is pale brown, darker above, and has a dull reddish breast and whitish throat. The whitish mark on the female’s forehead is smaller than the male’s. The female Scarlet Robin also has white wing and tail markings. Immature males resemble females. (from DEC-NSW Threatened Specie Profile)
Where does it live and what does it eat?
The distribution of the Scarlet Robin is south eastern Australia and south-west Western Australia. In New South Wales it occurs from the coast to the inland slopes. There are two records for Pittwater from Chiltern Road, Ingleside however the date for these records is unknown. Its habitat preferences include more open understorey habitats, breeding in drier eucalypt forest and temperate woodland, with a preference for ridges and slopes. Logs and woody debris provide important habitat, where the species forages on invertebrates, also taking prey from the ground and tree trunks. Cup shaped nests are built in the fork of a tree, usually 2 m above the ground.
The species has been shown to be sensitive to habitat degradation.
Updated: 27 Jun 2011
Related Links
- Scarlet Robin - DEC-NSW Threatened Species Profile