Pink Robin

Overview

The pink robin (Petroica rodinogaster) is a small passerine bird native to southeastern Australia. As a member of the family Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females display distinctly different plumage.

Identification

• Males have a dark blackish-grey head, throat, back, wings and tail, contrasting with a pink breast that fades to white on the lower abdomen.
• Males possess a distinctive white forehead spot, whereas females are dark grey-brown above with two buff-coloured wing-bars and pinkish-tinged underparts.
• The bird measures 13.5 cm in length and has a small, thin, black bill with dark brown eyes and legs.

Habitat

The species inhabits cool temperate forests in far southeastern Australia. Its range covers the forests of southern Victoria, neighbouring parts of South Australia and New South Wales, and Tasmania.

Diet

The diet consists of a variety of spiders and insects, including caterpillars, ichneumon wasps, beetles, flies and ants.

Did you know?

The specific name rodinogaster derives from the Ancient Greek words for 'pink' and 'belly', while the generic name Petroica comes from words meaning 'stone' and 'house'.