(Petroicidae)
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri (Oscines)
Family: Petroicidae
Thumbnail description
Small, generally plump birds, with big heads and short tails, upright stance, long legs, and delicate feet, that prey on insects
Size
4–10 in (10–25 cm); 0.4–1.4 oz (12–38 g)
Number of genera, species
15 genera; 35 species
Habitat
Forests, woodlands, mangroves, and semiarid scrub
Conservation status
Endangered: 1 species; Vulnerable: 2 subspecies; Near Threatened: 1 subspecies
Distribution
New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific Islands; south and Southeast Asia
Evolution and systematics
Molecular data indicate Australian robins are not closely related to the robins and flycatchers of Eurasia and Africa (Muscicapidae). Rather, their similar appearance and behavior are adaptations to similar ecological niches. The Petroicidae belong within the major adaptive radiation of the endemic Australian passerines, which include lyrebirds and honeyeaters. Petroicidae's nearest relatives are not clear, and the family is probably quite ancient. The number of species and genera is undecided and separation into subfamilies poorly resolved, though scrub robins are clearly separate. The family name Eopsaltriidae also has been used but Petroicidae has precedence.
Physical characteristics
Most species of Australian robins are similar in structure, although distinct in plumage. The genus Petroica has males that are black or gray and white with pink to red breasts, whereas females are grayish brown. Related New Zealand forms lack the red coloring. Many other robins are black and white, and several species are gray and yellow. Almost all are plump with upright stances and resemble the Eurasian robins, flycatchers, and chats. They have small bills, prominent rictal (on the bill) bristles, and short tails. The scrub robins differ from the family in being larger with long tails. They forage and nest entirely on the ground.
Distribution
New Guinea has 25 species of Petroicidae and Australia 20 species. There are three species of Australian robins in New Zealand, and the scarlet robin (Petroica multicolor) is spread widely across the western Pacific. One species of Microeca is found only on the Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia. The flycatchers of Culicicapa occur as far as the Himalayas, Sri Lanka, China, and the Philippines.
Habitat
Most Australian robins are found in forests and woodlands, with the red-capped robin (P. goodenovii) occurring in semiarid scrub. A few species also occur in mangroves, whereas others may be found in agricultural regions, especially during winter.
Behavior
Pairs or family groups defend territories ranging from about 1 to 10 acres (0.5–4 ha) but expand their ranges out-side the breeding season. Many species engage in tail and wing flicking, especially when agitated, but the behavior also could be used to aid foraging. The flame robin (P. phoenicea) of upland Australia and the gray-headed flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis) show short distance and altitudinal migration. Songs are usually attractive whistling or piping notes with some harsh alarm calls.
Feeding ecology and diet
Australian robins employ the perch-and-pounce method of foraging, typically sitting on a low branch or sideways across a tree trunk before flying onto the ground to capture a beetle, larva, or other insect. Some species, such as the hooded robin (Melanodryas cucullata) often use artificial perches, such as fence posts or overhead wires. The Microeca flycatchers and the smaller Petroica species also sally from perches after flying insects, especially during warmer months. Scrub robins remain on the ground, from which they glean their insect prey. Spiders, earthworms, and, more unusually, mollusks, crabs, and leeches also are eaten.
Reproductive biology
Australian robins are probably all socially monogamous, with helpers in cooperative breeding occurring in a few species. These birds build neat, cup-shaped nests in a fork of a tree or on a horizontal branch. Lichen and strips of bark are often added to conceal them. Females build nests and incubate the eggs, although the females often are fed by the males. Clutches in most species are comprised of two or three eggs, although clutches containing only a single egg occur in some New Guinea species and in the southern scrub robin (Drymodes brunneopygia). Breeding biology is poorly known for many species. Many nests of the Australian robins suffer predation, especially from large birds, so that breeding success is often low.
Conservation status
The Chatham Islands black robin (P. traversi) was rescued from the brink of extinction by imaginative management. Many of the robins in Australia have suffered declines due to clearing and degradation of woodlands and forests for agriculture; they may experience difficulty moving between vegetation remnants and suffer increased nest predation due to their simplified habitat. Several New Guinea species are poorly known and may be threatened.
Significance to humans
The tame and trusting nature of Australian robins, as well as the bright colors and attractive songs of some species, make them favorites among bird watchers.
Species accounts
Jacky winterScarlet robin
Eastern yellow robin
Gray-headed robin
Chatham Island black robin
Gray-headed flycatcher
White-winged robin
Southern scrub robin
Resources
Books:Boles, W.E. The Robins and Flycatchers of Australia. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1988.
Butler, D., and D. Murton. The Black Robin: Saving the World's Most Endangered Bird. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Marchant, S. "Breeding of the Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis." In Birds of Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands: Ecology, Conservation, Management, edited by A. Keast, H.F. Recher, H.A. Ford, and D.A. Saunders. Sydney: Surrey Beatty, 1985.
Periodicals:Brooker, B. "Biology of the Southern Scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia) at Peron Peninsula, Western Australia." Emu 101 (2001): 181–190.
Frith, D.W., and C.B. Frith. "The Nesting Biology of the Gray-headed Robin Heteromyias albispecularis (Petroicidae) in Australian Upland Tropical Rainforest." Emu 100 (2000): 81–94.
Robinson, D. "The Nesting Ecology of Sympatric Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor and Flame Robin P. phoenicea in Open Eucalypt Forest." Emu 90 (1990): 40–52.
Other:Black Robin. New Zealand Department of Conservation. 26 March 2002.
[Article by: Hugh Alastair Ford, PhD]
