Jul 6

Bird of the day

Rose robin

Petroica rosea

The rose robin (Petroica rosea) is a small passerine bird native to Australia. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic. The male has a distinctive pink breast. Its upperparts are dark grey with white frons, and its tail black with white tips. The underparts and shoulder are white. The female is an undistinguished grey-brown. The robin has a small black bill and eyes.

It is endemic to Australia east or south of the Great Dividing Range, from Queensland through to southeastern South Australia. Its natural habitats are the gullies and valleys of temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Adult birds are around 11 cm (4.3 in) in length. The male rose robin has a pink breast and abdomen, with dark grey head, throat, back and tail. The frons and outer tail shafts are white. There is no white wing bar. The female is plain-coloured; pale grey-brown above, and grey-white underneath, with small white marks on the wings and over the bill. The bill, legs and eyes are black. Both the male and female make a tick call.

Aliases

Petroica rosea, rose-breasted wood robin, rose breasted wood robin, rose robin, rose breasted robin, Petroica (Erythrodryas) rosea

Range

Range map of Rose robin