Flame Robin
Encyclopedia
The Flame Robin is a small passerine
bird native to Australia. It is a moderately common resident of the coolest parts of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania
. Like the other two red-breasted Petroica robins—the Scarlet Robin
and the Red-capped Robin
—it is often simply but inaccurately called the Robin Redbreast. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae
, it is sexually dimorphic
. Measuring 12–14 cm (5–6 in) long, the Flame Robin has dark brown eyes and a small thin black bill. The male has a brilliant orange-red chest and throat, and a white patch on the forehead above the bill. Its upper parts are iron-grey with white bars, and its tail black with white tips. The female is a nondescript grey-brown. Its song has been described as the most musical of its genus.
The position of the Flame Robin and its Australian relatives on the passerine family tree is unclear; the Petroicidae are not closely related to either the European
or American Robin
s but appear to be an early offshoot of the Passerida
group of songbird
s. The Flame Robin is predominantly insectivorous
, pouncing on prey from a perch in a tree, or foraging on the ground. A territorial
bird, the Flame Robin employs song and plumage displays to mark out and defend its territory. Classified by BirdLife International
as Near Threatened
, the species has suffered a marked decline in the past 25 years.
s Jean René Constant Quoy
and Joseph Paul Gaimard
in 1830 as Muscicapa chrysoptera. The specific epithet, "chrysoptera", is derived from the Ancient Greek
words chrysos "golden", and pteron "feather".
John Gould
placed the Flame Robin in its current genus as Petroica phoenicea in his 1837 description, and it was this latter binomial name that has been used since that time. Given this, Quoy and Gaimard's name was declared a nomen oblitum
. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek words petros "rock" and oikos "home", from the birds' habit of sitting on rocks. The specific epithet is also derived from Ancient Greek, from the adjective phoinikos "red". It is one of five red- or pink-breasted species colloquially
known as "Red Robins", as distinct from the "Yellow Robins" of the genus Eopsaltria
. Although named after the European Robin
, is not closely related to it or the American Robin
. The Australian robins were placed in the Old World flycatcher
family Muscicapidae, and the whistler family Pachycephalidae
, before being classified in their own family Petroicidae
, or Eopsaltridae. Sibley
and Ahlquist's DNA-DNA hybridisation
studies placed the robins in a Corvida
parvorder comprising many tropical and Australian passerines including pardalotes, fairy-wrens
and honeyeaters as well as crows. However, subsequent molecular research (and current consensus) places the robins as a very early offshoot of the Passerida
, or "advanced" songbirds, within the songbird
lineage.
No subspecies
are recognised, and the degree of geographic variation is unclear. Adult male birds which breed on the mainland have been reported as having lighter upperparts and underparts than their Tasmanian relatives, and females are said to be browner, but these differences may also result from worn plumage. Furthermore, migration across the Bass Strait
by some birds obfuscates the issue. Mainland and Tasmanian birds are the same size. Ornithologists Richard Schodde
and Ian Mason argued that the poor quality of museum collections and partially migratory habits meant that discrete subspecies could not be distinguished on the basis of the observed variation within the species.
Flame-breasted Robin was the common name
formerly used for the species, and it was gradually abbreviated to Flame Robin. Other names recorded include Bank Robin, Redhead, and (inaccurately) Robin Redbreast.
The largest of the red robins, the Flame Robin is 12–14 cm (5–6 in) long. It has a more slender build than other members of the genus Petroica, with relatively long wings and neck and small head. The male is easily distinguished by its bright orange-red plumage
of the throat, breast and abdomen. The crown, nape
, ear coverts
, hindneck, and sides of neck are dark grey, and lores and chin are a grey-black. The grey feathers of the sides of the crown
may be suffused with dull orange. The rest of the upperparts, comprising the wings, back and tail, are dark grey. There is a small white frontal spot above the bill, and the wing bar and outer tail shafts are white. The feathers of the posterior belly, flanks and vent are white with grey-black bases. The female is plainly coloured—pale brown overall, and a lighter buff underneath. The posterior belly, flanks and vent are off-white. As in the male, feathers on the side of the crown may be suffused with a dull orange, and this may also occur with breast feathers. There are small off-white marks on the wings and above the bill. The bill, legs, feet and claws are black, and the eyes dark brown. A Flame Robin with an all lemon-yellow breast and otherwise female plumage was observed in a small flock of Flame Robins near Swansea
in eastern Tasmania in September 1950.
Nestlings have dark grey or brown down, cream to grey bills, cream gape
s and orange throats. The plumage of juvenile birds in their first moult resembles that of the adult female, but the head and upperparts are streaked and slightly darker. Soon after fledging
, juveniles moult into their first immature plumage, and more closely resemble the adult female. The breasts of male birds may have some orange feathers. Birds in their second year moult into a second immature phase, some males of which may resemble adult males, while others retain a more immature brown plumage. Determining the age and sex of birds in brown plumage can be very difficult. Information on exact timing of moulting is lacking, but the replacement of primary feathers takes place over the summer months between December and February.
The colour alone is not a reliable guide to determine the species, as some Scarlet Robin
s (P. boodang) take on an orange hue, but while male Scarlet and Red-capped Robin
s (P. goodenovii) have red breasts and black throats, the Flame Robin's breast plumage extends right up to the base of the bill. It is also a little slimmer and has a smaller head than the Scarlet Robin, and is clearly larger than the Red-capped. Females of the respective species are harder to tell apart. Those of Red-capped, Rose
and Pink Robin
s are all smaller, with wing lengths less than 7 cm (2.8 in), smaller than the smallest Flame Robin. The female Scarlet Robin has a more pronounced red flush to the breast and the spot on the crown above the bill is more prominent and white rather than off-white.
The Flame Robin's calls are grouped into louder and quieter calls; the former can be heard from 150 m (500 ft) away, the latter, which are often briefer, from 30 m (100 ft). Loud songs make up almost 90% of calls in spring, summer and autumn, but less than 50% of calls from May to July. Males sing rarely during this time, although they do so to defend their territories. Their song is more varied and complex than that of the Scarlet Robin, and has been described as the most musical of the red robins. A series of descending notes in groups of three, the musical song has been likened to the phrases, "you-may-come, if-you-will, to-the-sea" or "you-are-not a-pretty-little-bird like-me". Both males and females sing this song, often perched from a vantage point such as a stump or fence. This loud song is used to attract the attention of a potential mate, and to announce the bringing of food to its mate or young. The softer call has been described as a tlip, terp or pip and is used as a contact call in the vicinity of the nest. The female makes a hissing sound if approached while on the nest, and the male has been recorded making a wheezing call when displaying around the nest.
, it is more common in uplands than lower altitudes. It ranges from the Adelaide
and Murray Plains around the mouth of the Murray River
in southeastern South Australia, across Victoria and into the South West Slopes and southern regions of New South Wales. Further north, it is found along the Great Dividing Range
and its western slopes, with a few records from southeast Queensland. Within its range, it is generally migratory, moving from alpine and subalpine regions to lowlands in winter, although the breeding and non-breeding ranges overlap. There is some evidence that male birds migrate several days before females. It is unclear what proportion of Tasmanian birds cross Bass Strait
to winter in Victoria. Birds which remain in Tasmania move away from breeding areas and are found in paddocks in loose flocks of up to fourteen birds. They have left these areas by August, and immature birds appear to disperse earlier. A field study in the outer Melbourne suburb of Langwarrin
showed that climate did not influence peak abundance of Flame Robins there. The international organization BirdLife International
has regraded it from Least Concern
to Near Threatened
in 2004 due to its population decline over the previous 25 years. The Australian Government had classified it as Least Concern, but noted evidence of decline at the edges of its non-breeding range; it has become rare in South Australia and Victoria. Flame robins are not rare in Victoria. They are frequently encountered at high elevations on the Great Dividing Range, especially in sparser snow gum woodland and similar habitat, and during the summer breeding season are one of the most reliably observed species around the summit of Mount Macedon, NW of Melbourne.
In spring and summer, the Flame Robin is more often found in wet eucalypt forest in hilly or mountainous areas, particularly the tops and slopes, to an elevation of 1800 m (6000 ft). It generally prefers areas with more clearings and less understory
. In particular it prefers tall forests dominated by such trees as snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora
), mountain ash ( E. regnans
), alpine ash (E. delegatensis
), manna gum (E. viminalis), messmate stringybark (E. obliqua
), black gum (E. aggregata
), white mountain gum (E. dalrympleana
), brown barrel (E. fastigata
), narrow-leaved peppermint (E. radiata
), and black peppermint (E. amygdalina
). It is occasionally encountered in temperate rainforest. In the autumn and winter, birds move to more open areas such as grasslands and open woodlands, such as those containing river red gum (E. camaldulensis), Blakely's red gum (E. blakelyi
), yellow box (E. melliodora
), grey box (E. microcarpa
), and mugga ironbark (E. sideroxylon
), at lower altitude.
Flame Robins often become more abundant in areas recently burnt by bushfires, but move away once the undergrowth regrows. They may also move into logged or cleared areas in forests. However, a field study in the Boola Boola State Forest in central Gippsland
revealed they are not found in areas where the regrowth after logging is dense.
, the Tasmanian highlands and islands in Bass Strait. With the coming of cooler autumn weather, most birds disperse to lower and warmer areas, some travelling as far as eastern South Australia
, southern Queensland, or (in the case of some Tasmanian birds) across Bass Strait to Victoria. Birds breeding in the warmer climates north of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales
tend to retain their highland territories all year round. Outside the breeding season, birds may congregate in loose flocks, but they are most usually encountered throughout the year singly or in pairs, the latter more commonly in breeding season.
When perched or between bouts of foraging on the ground, the Flame Robin holds itself in a relatively upright pose, with its body angled at 45° or less from the vertical, and its wings held low below its tail. It impresses as nervous and twitchy, flicking its wings alternately when still. The Flame Robin's flight is fast, with a markedly undulating character.
The Flame Robin is territorial
, defending its territory against other members of its species and also Scarlet Robins where they co-occur. In Nimmitabel
in southern New South Wales, migratory Flame Robins invaded and eked out their territories from amid existing Scarlet Robin territories. Once settled, however, no species dominated over the other and stable boundaries emerged. The Flame Robin deploys a number of agonistic
displays, including a breast-puffing display where it puffs its breast feathers and a white spot display where it puffs its feathers to accentuate its frontal white crown, white wing markings or white outer tail feathers. They may also fly at intruders or sing to defend their territory.
, the Flame Robin is a perch and pounce hunter, mainly eating insect
s, and often returning to a favourite low perch several times to stand erect and motionless, scanning the leaf-litter for more prey. They are typically seen in pairs (during the spring and summer breeding season) or in loose companies in more open country in winter, when they more commonly feed on the ground. A field study in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales found no significant difference in foraging behaviour between male and female Flame Robins. Birds have been recorded foraging for insects in furrows in freshly ploughed fields. In Deniliquin, a Flame Robin was observed holding one foot forward and pattering the ground repeatedly to disturb ground-dwelling insects, and then watching and snapping up any which emerged; this behaviour is otherwise seen in wader
s.
Compared with the Scarlet Robin, the Flame Robin eats a higher proportion of flying insects. Biologist Doug Robinson has proposed that scarcity of flying insects in winter is a reason why the Flame Robin migrates. They have been seen in mixed-species flocks
with other small insectivorous passerines, such as Scarlet Robins, Hooded Robin
s (Melanodryas cucullata), White-fronted Chat
s (Epthianura albifrons), and Australasian Pipit
s (Anthus novaeseelandiae).
Among the types of insects consumed are many families of beetles, wasp
s and ants, flies
(families Tabanidae and Asilidae
), bugs
, and caterpillars. Other invertebrates eaten include spider
s, millipede
s and earthworms
. The Flame Robin consumes small prey items whole, and bashes larger victims against a hard surface repeatedly to break up before eating. The latter group constitute only 0.5% of prey over time—seasonally varying from a peak of 1.8% in autumn to a low of 0.2% of prey caught in winter.
The breeding season is August to January with one or two broods raised. The male proposes suitable nest sites to the female by hopping around the area. Unlike other robins, the female sometimes initiates the site selection. A pair spends anywhere from one to five days looking before finding a suitable site. The female constructs the nest alone. Eucalypts are generally chosen, but birds have been recorded nesting in Pinus radiata on Mount Wellington
in Tasmania. The Flame Robin is more versatile in its selection of nesting sites than other robins, and has even been recorded nesting in sheds.
The nest is a neat deep cup made of soft dry grass, moss and bark. Spider web
s, feathers and fur are used for binding/filling, generally in a tree fork or crevice, or cliff or riverbank ledge, typically within a few metres of the ground. The clutch generally numbers three or four dull white eggs, which are laid on consecutive days. They are tinted bluish, greyish or brownish and splotched with dark grey-brown, and measure 18 mm x 14 mm. A field study in open eucalypt forest at Nimmitabel found that Flame Robins and Scarlet Robins chose different sites to breed, the former in tree hollows and bark crevices, most commonly of Eucalyptus viminalis around 4 m (13 ft) off the ground, and the latter more commonly in forks or on branches of E. pauciflora around 7 m (25 ft) above the ground. Flame Robins, which were migratory at the site, were more successful in raising young, but the success rate of Scarlet Robins in the area appeared to be poor compared with other sites.
Incubation
has been recorded as averaging around 17 days. Like all passerines, the chicks are altricial
; they are born blind and naked, and start to develop down
on their heads on day two. Their eyes open around day six, and they begin developing their primary flight feathers around day nine or ten. For the first three days after hatching, the mother feeds the nestlings alone, with food brought to her by the father. The father feeds them directly from the fourth day onwards, with the mother brooding them afterwards until day seven. Flies, butterflies, moths, caterpillars and beetles predominate in the food fed to young birds. Flame Robins fed a higher proportion of flying insects to their young at Nimmitabel than did Scarlet Robins, which may have been due to their later start to breeding. Both parents participate in removing faecal sacs
from the nest. Parents have been observed feeding young up to five weeks after leaving the nest.
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo
(Cacomantis flabelliformis) and Pallid Cuckoo
(C. pallidus) have been recorded as brood parasite
s of the Flame Robin; female cuckoos lay their eggs in robin nests, which are then raised by the robins as their own. One Fan-tailed Cuckoo was recorded ejecting baby robins before being raised by its foster parents. Other nest predators recorded include the Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Pied Currawong
(Strepera graculina), and Eastern Brown Snake
(Pseudonaja textilis).
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird native to Australia. It is a moderately common resident of the coolest parts of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Like the other two red-breasted Petroica robins—the Scarlet Robin
Scarlet Robin
The Scarlet Robin is a common red-breasted Australasian robin in the passerine bird genus Petroica. The species is found on continental Australia and its offshore islands, including Tasmania...
and the Red-capped Robin
Red-capped Robin
The Red-capped Robin is a small passerine bird native to Australia. Found in dryer regions across much of the continent, it inhabits scrub and open woodland. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae family, it is sexually dimorphic...
—it is often simply but inaccurately called the Robin Redbreast. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae
Petroicidae
The bird family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia: New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. For want of an accurate common name, the family is often called the Australasian robins. Within the...
, it is sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
. Measuring 12–14 cm (5–6 in) long, the Flame Robin has dark brown eyes and a small thin black bill. The male has a brilliant orange-red chest and throat, and a white patch on the forehead above the bill. Its upper parts are iron-grey with white bars, and its tail black with white tips. The female is a nondescript grey-brown. Its song has been described as the most musical of its genus.
The position of the Flame Robin and its Australian relatives on the passerine family tree is unclear; the Petroicidae are not closely related to either the European
European Robin
The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher...
or American Robin
American Robin
The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
s but appear to be an early offshoot of the Passerida
Passerida
Passerida is under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two "parvorders" contained within the suborder Passeri...
group of songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
s. The Flame Robin is predominantly insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
, pouncing on prey from a perch in a tree, or foraging on the ground. A territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
bird, the Flame Robin employs song and plumage displays to mark out and defend its territory. Classified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
, the species has suffered a marked decline in the past 25 years.
Taxonomy
The Flame Robin was first described by the French naturalistNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
s Jean René Constant Quoy
Jean René Constant Quoy
Jean René Constant Quoy was a French zoologist.Along with Joseph Paul Gaimard he served as naturalist aboard La Coquille under Louis Isidore Duperrey during its circumnavigation of the globe , and the Astrolabe under the command of Jules Dumont d'Urville...
and Joseph Paul Gaimard
Joseph Paul Gaimard
Joseph Paul Gaimard was a French naval surgeon and naturalist.Along with Jean René Constant Quoy he served as naturalist on the ships L'Uranie under Louis de Freycinet 1817-1820, and L'Astrolabe under Jules Dumont d'Urville 1826-1829...
in 1830 as Muscicapa chrysoptera. The specific epithet, "chrysoptera", is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
words chrysos "golden", and pteron "feather".
John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
placed the Flame Robin in its current genus as Petroica phoenicea in his 1837 description, and it was this latter binomial name that has been used since that time. Given this, Quoy and Gaimard's name was declared a nomen oblitum
Nomen oblitum
A nomen oblitum is a technical term, used in zoological nomenclature, for a particular kind of disused scientific name....
. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek words petros "rock" and oikos "home", from the birds' habit of sitting on rocks. The specific epithet is also derived from Ancient Greek, from the adjective phoinikos "red". It is one of five red- or pink-breasted species colloquially
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
known as "Red Robins", as distinct from the "Yellow Robins" of the genus Eopsaltria
Eopsaltria
Eopsaltria is a genus of small forest passerines known in Australia as the Yellow Robins. They belong to the Australasian Robin family Petroicidae. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek for "dawn singer/song" because of their dawn chorus. They are inquisitive and bold birds, and have been...
. Although named after the European Robin
European Robin
The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher...
, is not closely related to it or the American Robin
American Robin
The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
. The Australian robins were placed in the Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
family Muscicapidae, and the whistler family Pachycephalidae
Pachycephalidae
The family Pachycephalidae, collectively the whistlers, includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and Crested Bellbird, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. Its members range from small to medium in size, and occupy most of Australasia...
, before being classified in their own family Petroicidae
Petroicidae
The bird family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia: New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. For want of an accurate common name, the family is often called the Australasian robins. Within the...
, or Eopsaltridae. Sibley
Charles Sibley
Charles Gald Sibley was an American ornithologist and molecular biologist. He had an immense influence on the scientific classification of birds, and the work that Sibley initiated has substantially altered our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern birds.Sibley's taxonomy has been a...
and Ahlquist's DNA-DNA hybridisation
DNA-DNA hybridisation
DNA-DNA hybridization generally refers to a molecular biology technique that measures the degree of genetic similarity between pools of DNA sequences. It is usually used to determine the genetic distance between two species...
studies placed the robins in a Corvida
Corvida
The "Corvida" were one of two "parvorders" contained within the suborder Passeri, as proposed in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy. Standard taxonomic practice would place them at the rank of infraorder....
parvorder comprising many tropical and Australian passerines including pardalotes, fairy-wrens
Maluridae
The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere...
and honeyeaters as well as crows. However, subsequent molecular research (and current consensus) places the robins as a very early offshoot of the Passerida
Passerida
Passerida is under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two "parvorders" contained within the suborder Passeri...
, or "advanced" songbirds, within the songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
lineage.
No subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are recognised, and the degree of geographic variation is unclear. Adult male birds which breed on the mainland have been reported as having lighter upperparts and underparts than their Tasmanian relatives, and females are said to be browner, but these differences may also result from worn plumage. Furthermore, migration across the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
by some birds obfuscates the issue. Mainland and Tasmanian birds are the same size. Ornithologists Richard Schodde
Richard Schodde
Richard Schodde, OAM is an Australian botanist and ornithologist.Schodde studied at the University of Adelaide where he received a BSc in 1960 and a PhD in 1970. During the 1960s he was a botanist with the CSIRO Division of Land Research and Regional Survey in Papua New Guinea...
and Ian Mason argued that the poor quality of museum collections and partially migratory habits meant that discrete subspecies could not be distinguished on the basis of the observed variation within the species.
Flame-breasted Robin was the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
formerly used for the species, and it was gradually abbreviated to Flame Robin. Other names recorded include Bank Robin, Redhead, and (inaccurately) Robin Redbreast.
Description
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
of the throat, breast and abdomen. The crown, nape
Nape
The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is referred to by the word nucha, which also gives the adjective corresponding to "nape" in English, "nuchal"....
, ear coverts
Covert (feather)
A covert feather on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.- Wing-coverts :...
, hindneck, and sides of neck are dark grey, and lores and chin are a grey-black. The grey feathers of the sides of the crown
Crown (anatomy)
A crown is the top of the head.The following birds and other animals are said to have a crown on their head:* Cranes** Grey-crowned Crane** Red-crowned Crane** Black-crowned Crane* Crowned eagle* Gray-crowned Rosy Finch* Yellow-crowned Gonolek...
may be suffused with dull orange. The rest of the upperparts, comprising the wings, back and tail, are dark grey. There is a small white frontal spot above the bill, and the wing bar and outer tail shafts are white. The feathers of the posterior belly, flanks and vent are white with grey-black bases. The female is plainly coloured—pale brown overall, and a lighter buff underneath. The posterior belly, flanks and vent are off-white. As in the male, feathers on the side of the crown may be suffused with a dull orange, and this may also occur with breast feathers. There are small off-white marks on the wings and above the bill. The bill, legs, feet and claws are black, and the eyes dark brown. A Flame Robin with an all lemon-yellow breast and otherwise female plumage was observed in a small flock of Flame Robins near Swansea
Swansea, Tasmania
-Demographics:According to the 1996 census, the town's population was 495. Of the population, 25.1% were above the age of 65 - making it the Tasmanian town with the largest percentage of over-65-year-olds.-References:...
in eastern Tasmania in September 1950.
Nestlings have dark grey or brown down, cream to grey bills, cream gape
Gape
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together, at the base of the beak...
s and orange throats. The plumage of juvenile birds in their first moult resembles that of the adult female, but the head and upperparts are streaked and slightly darker. Soon after fledging
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
, juveniles moult into their first immature plumage, and more closely resemble the adult female. The breasts of male birds may have some orange feathers. Birds in their second year moult into a second immature phase, some males of which may resemble adult males, while others retain a more immature brown plumage. Determining the age and sex of birds in brown plumage can be very difficult. Information on exact timing of moulting is lacking, but the replacement of primary feathers takes place over the summer months between December and February.
The colour alone is not a reliable guide to determine the species, as some Scarlet Robin
Scarlet Robin
The Scarlet Robin is a common red-breasted Australasian robin in the passerine bird genus Petroica. The species is found on continental Australia and its offshore islands, including Tasmania...
s (P. boodang) take on an orange hue, but while male Scarlet and Red-capped Robin
Red-capped Robin
The Red-capped Robin is a small passerine bird native to Australia. Found in dryer regions across much of the continent, it inhabits scrub and open woodland. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae family, it is sexually dimorphic...
s (P. goodenovii) have red breasts and black throats, the Flame Robin's breast plumage extends right up to the base of the bill. It is also a little slimmer and has a smaller head than the Scarlet Robin, and is clearly larger than the Red-capped. Females of the respective species are harder to tell apart. Those of Red-capped, Rose
Rose Robin
The Rose Robin 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...
and Pink Robin
Pink Robin
The Pink Robin is a small passerine bird native to southeastern Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae family, it is sexually dimorphic...
s are all smaller, with wing lengths less than 7 cm (2.8 in), smaller than the smallest Flame Robin. The female Scarlet Robin has a more pronounced red flush to the breast and the spot on the crown above the bill is more prominent and white rather than off-white.
The Flame Robin's calls are grouped into louder and quieter calls; the former can be heard from 150 m (500 ft) away, the latter, which are often briefer, from 30 m (100 ft). Loud songs make up almost 90% of calls in spring, summer and autumn, but less than 50% of calls from May to July. Males sing rarely during this time, although they do so to defend their territories. Their song is more varied and complex than that of the Scarlet Robin, and has been described as the most musical of the red robins. A series of descending notes in groups of three, the musical song has been likened to the phrases, "you-may-come, if-you-will, to-the-sea" or "you-are-not a-pretty-little-bird like-me". Both males and females sing this song, often perched from a vantage point such as a stump or fence. This loud song is used to attract the attention of a potential mate, and to announce the bringing of food to its mate or young. The softer call has been described as a tlip, terp or pip and is used as a contact call in the vicinity of the nest. The female makes a hissing sound if approached while on the nest, and the male has been recorded making a wheezing call when displaying around the nest.
Distribution and habitat
The Flame Robin is found in temperate regions of southeastern Australia and all over Tasmania, although it is less common in the southwest and west. In VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, it is more common in uplands than lower altitudes. It ranges from the Adelaide
Adelaide Plains
The Adelaide Plains is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and Gulf St Vincent on the west. The plains are generally fertile with annual rainfall of about per year....
and Murray Plains around the mouth of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
in southeastern South Australia, across Victoria and into the South West Slopes and southern regions of New South Wales. Further north, it is found along the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
and its western slopes, with a few records from southeast Queensland. Within its range, it is generally migratory, moving from alpine and subalpine regions to lowlands in winter, although the breeding and non-breeding ranges overlap. There is some evidence that male birds migrate several days before females. It is unclear what proportion of Tasmanian birds cross Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
to winter in Victoria. Birds which remain in Tasmania move away from breeding areas and are found in paddocks in loose flocks of up to fourteen birds. They have left these areas by August, and immature birds appear to disperse earlier. A field study in the outer Melbourne suburb of Langwarrin
Langwarrin, Victoria
Langwarrin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
showed that climate did not influence peak abundance of Flame Robins there. The international organization BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
has regraded it from Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
to Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
in 2004 due to its population decline over the previous 25 years. The Australian Government had classified it as Least Concern, but noted evidence of decline at the edges of its non-breeding range; it has become rare in South Australia and Victoria. Flame robins are not rare in Victoria. They are frequently encountered at high elevations on the Great Dividing Range, especially in sparser snow gum woodland and similar habitat, and during the summer breeding season are one of the most reliably observed species around the summit of Mount Macedon, NW of Melbourne.
In spring and summer, the Flame Robin is more often found in wet eucalypt forest in hilly or mountainous areas, particularly the tops and slopes, to an elevation of 1800 m (6000 ft). It generally prefers areas with more clearings and less understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
. In particular it prefers tall forests dominated by such trees as snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora
Eucalyptus pauciflora
The Snow Gum is a small tree or large shrub native to eastern Australia.-Habitat:It is usually found in the subalpine habitats of eastern Australia. Snow Gums also grow in lowland habitats where they can reach heights of up to 20 metres. Lowland Snow Gum is sometimes known as White Sallee, Cabbage...
), mountain ash ( E. regnans
Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...
), alpine ash (E. delegatensis
Eucalyptus delegatensis
Eucalyptus delegatensis, commonly known as Alpine Ash or Gum-topped stringybark or White-top, is a sub-alpine or temperate tree of southeastern Australia. A straight, grey-trunked tree, it reaches heights of over 90 metres in suitable conditions. The tallest currently known specimen is located in...
), manna gum (E. viminalis), messmate stringybark (E. obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark, Stringybark and Tasmanian Oak, is a hardwood tree native to south-eastern Australia....
), black gum (E. aggregata
Eucalyptus aggregata
Eucalyptus aggregata, or black gum, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Australia. It was first described by Deane and Joseph Maiden in 1900....
), white mountain gum (E. dalrympleana
Eucalyptus dalrympleana
White Mountain Gum is a tree from the genus Eucalyptus. It is a tall tree, growing up to 50m in favourable conditions but is small and irregular in poor soils. The bark is smooth, darkening to salmon pink or light brown before flaking off to reveal new pure white bark...
), brown barrel (E. fastigata
Eucalyptus fastigata
Brown Barrel or Cut-Tail is a common eucalyptus tree of south eastern Australia.It can grow in excess of 60 metres in height, though is mostly seen between 30 and 45 metres tall. Brown Barrel grows in cooler areas of high rainfall with fertile soils...
), narrow-leaved peppermint (E. radiata
Eucalyptus radiata
Eucalyptus radiata is a medium to tall tree to 30 m high with persistent bark on the trunk and larger branches or persistent to smaller branches. The bark shortly fibrous , grey to grey-brown, shedding in long ribbons...
), and black peppermint (E. amygdalina
Eucalyptus amygdalina
Eucalyptus amygdalina, or black peppermint, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Australia. It was first described by Labillardiere in 1806....
). It is occasionally encountered in temperate rainforest. In the autumn and winter, birds move to more open areas such as grasslands and open woodlands, such as those containing river red gum (E. camaldulensis), Blakely's red gum (E. blakelyi
Eucalyptus blakelyi
Eucalyptus blakelyi, known as the Blakelys Red Gum is a common eucalyptus tree of the tablelands of New South Wales and adjacent areas in Queensland and Victoria. Growing to tall, the trunk is smooth, with shedding scales of bark, revealing varying colours of pink, white and grey...
), yellow box (E. melliodora
Eucalyptus melliodora
Eucalyptus melliodora, commonly known as Yellow Box, is a medium sized to occasionally tall eucalypt. The bark is variable ranging from smooth with an irregular, short stocking, to covering most of the trunk, fibrous, dense or loosely held, grey, yellow or red-brown, occasionally very coarse,...
), grey box (E. microcarpa
Eucalyptus microcarpa
Eucalyptus microcarpa, or Grey Box, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Australia.It is a spreading tree which has fibrous grey bark on the trunk and lower branches, but has smooth, grey-brown bark on its upper branches The flower buds have conical caps and the flowers themselves,...
), and mugga ironbark (E. sideroxylon
Eucalyptus sideroxylon
Eucalyptus sideroxylon, or Mugga, Red Ironbark or Mugga Ironbark, is a small to medium-sized or occasionally tall tree. The bark is persistent on the trunk and large branches, hard and deeply furrowed, dark grey to black, with upper limbs smooth and whitish.Adult leaves are stalked, lanceolate to...
), at lower altitude.
Flame Robins often become more abundant in areas recently burnt by bushfires, but move away once the undergrowth regrows. They may also move into logged or cleared areas in forests. However, a field study in the Boola Boola State Forest in central Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
revealed they are not found in areas where the regrowth after logging is dense.
Behaviour
The Flame Robin mostly breeds in and around the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, the Tasmanian highlands and islands in Bass Strait. With the coming of cooler autumn weather, most birds disperse to lower and warmer areas, some travelling as far as eastern South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, southern Queensland, or (in the case of some Tasmanian birds) across Bass Strait to Victoria. Birds breeding in the warmer climates north of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
tend to retain their highland territories all year round. Outside the breeding season, birds may congregate in loose flocks, but they are most usually encountered throughout the year singly or in pairs, the latter more commonly in breeding season.
When perched or between bouts of foraging on the ground, the Flame Robin holds itself in a relatively upright pose, with its body angled at 45° or less from the vertical, and its wings held low below its tail. It impresses as nervous and twitchy, flicking its wings alternately when still. The Flame Robin's flight is fast, with a markedly undulating character.
The Flame Robin is territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
, defending its territory against other members of its species and also Scarlet Robins where they co-occur. In Nimmitabel
Nimmitabel, New South Wales
Nimmitabel is a small town in the Monaro region in southeast New South Wales, Australia, in the Cooma-Monaro Shire Local government area. At the 2006 census, Nimmitabel had a population of 237 people....
in southern New South Wales, migratory Flame Robins invaded and eked out their territories from amid existing Scarlet Robin territories. Once settled, however, no species dominated over the other and stable boundaries emerged. The Flame Robin deploys a number of agonistic
Agonistic behaviour
In ethology, agonistic behaviour is any social behaviour related to fighting. Thus it is broader than aggressive behaviour because it includes not only actual aggression but also threats, displays, retreats, placating aggressors, and conciliation. The term was coined by Scott and Fredericson in 1951...
displays, including a breast-puffing display where it puffs its breast feathers and a white spot display where it puffs its feathers to accentuate its frontal white crown, white wing markings or white outer tail feathers. They may also fly at intruders or sing to defend their territory.
Feeding
Like all Australasian robinsPetroicidae
The bird family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia: New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. For want of an accurate common name, the family is often called the Australasian robins. Within the...
, the Flame Robin is a perch and pounce hunter, mainly eating insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, and often returning to a favourite low perch several times to stand erect and motionless, scanning the leaf-litter for more prey. They are typically seen in pairs (during the spring and summer breeding season) or in loose companies in more open country in winter, when they more commonly feed on the ground. A field study in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales found no significant difference in foraging behaviour between male and female Flame Robins. Birds have been recorded foraging for insects in furrows in freshly ploughed fields. In Deniliquin, a Flame Robin was observed holding one foot forward and pattering the ground repeatedly to disturb ground-dwelling insects, and then watching and snapping up any which emerged; this behaviour is otherwise seen in wader
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s.
Compared with the Scarlet Robin, the Flame Robin eats a higher proportion of flying insects. Biologist Doug Robinson has proposed that scarcity of flying insects in winter is a reason why the Flame Robin migrates. They have been seen in mixed-species flocks
Mixed-species feeding flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species, that join each other and move together while foraging...
with other small insectivorous passerines, such as Scarlet Robins, Hooded Robin
Hooded Robin
The Hooded Robin is a small passerine bird native to Australia. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae it is sexually dimorphic; the male bearing distinctive black and white coloured plumage, while the female is a nondescript grey-brown.-Taxonomy:Like all Australian Robins, it is...
s (Melanodryas cucullata), White-fronted Chat
White-fronted Chat
The White-fronted Chat is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia, being found across southern Australia from Shark Bay in Western Australia around to the Queensland/New South Wales border.- References :* at NSW Govt Office of Environment and Heritage...
s (Epthianura albifrons), and Australasian Pipit
Australasian Pipit
The Australasian Pipit is a fairly small passerine bird of open country in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. It belongs to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae....
s (Anthus novaeseelandiae).
Among the types of insects consumed are many families of beetles, wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s and ants, flies
Diptera
Diptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
(families Tabanidae and Asilidae
Asilidae
Insects in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly called robber flies. The family Asilidae contains about 7,100 described species worldwide....
), bugs
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
, and caterpillars. Other invertebrates eaten include spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, millipede
Millipede
Millipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
s and earthworms
Oligochaeta
Oligochaeta is a subclass of animals in the biological phylum Annelida, which is made up of many types of aquatic and terrestrial worms, and this includes all of the various earthworms...
. The Flame Robin consumes small prey items whole, and bashes larger victims against a hard surface repeatedly to break up before eating. The latter group constitute only 0.5% of prey over time—seasonally varying from a peak of 1.8% in autumn to a low of 0.2% of prey caught in winter.
Courtship and breeding
Several courtship behaviours have been recorded. Males have been recorded feeding females. A male Flame Robin either lands next to and moves a female off her perch, or flies in front of her. Courting males also run to and fro in front of a female, in a crouch with wings and head lowered and hiding their breast feathers. In both displays, the male proceeds to chase the female. Pairs are generally monogamous, and remain together unless one bird perishes, although "divorces" have been recorded.The breeding season is August to January with one or two broods raised. The male proposes suitable nest sites to the female by hopping around the area. Unlike other robins, the female sometimes initiates the site selection. A pair spends anywhere from one to five days looking before finding a suitable site. The female constructs the nest alone. Eucalypts are generally chosen, but birds have been recorded nesting in Pinus radiata on Mount Wellington
Mount Wellington (Tasmania)
Mount Wellington is a mountain on whose foothills is built much of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is often referred to simply as 'the Mountain' by the residents of Hobart, and it rises to AHD over the city....
in Tasmania. The Flame Robin is more versatile in its selection of nesting sites than other robins, and has even been recorded nesting in sheds.
The nest is a neat deep cup made of soft dry grass, moss and bark. Spider web
Spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
s, feathers and fur are used for binding/filling, generally in a tree fork or crevice, or cliff or riverbank ledge, typically within a few metres of the ground. The clutch generally numbers three or four dull white eggs, which are laid on consecutive days. They are tinted bluish, greyish or brownish and splotched with dark grey-brown, and measure 18 mm x 14 mm. A field study in open eucalypt forest at Nimmitabel found that Flame Robins and Scarlet Robins chose different sites to breed, the former in tree hollows and bark crevices, most commonly of Eucalyptus viminalis around 4 m (13 ft) off the ground, and the latter more commonly in forks or on branches of E. pauciflora around 7 m (25 ft) above the ground. Flame Robins, which were migratory at the site, were more successful in raising young, but the success rate of Scarlet Robins in the area appeared to be poor compared with other sites.
Incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
has been recorded as averaging around 17 days. Like all passerines, the chicks are altricial
Altricial
Altricial, meaning "requiring nourishment", refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or being born...
; they are born blind and naked, and start to develop down
Down feather
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding,...
on their heads on day two. Their eyes open around day six, and they begin developing their primary flight feathers around day nine or ten. For the first three days after hatching, the mother feeds the nestlings alone, with food brought to her by the father. The father feeds them directly from the fourth day onwards, with the mother brooding them afterwards until day seven. Flies, butterflies, moths, caterpillars and beetles predominate in the food fed to young birds. Flame Robins fed a higher proportion of flying insects to their young at Nimmitabel than did Scarlet Robins, which may have been due to their later start to breeding. Both parents participate in removing faecal sacs
Fecal sac
A fecal sac is a mucous membrane, generally white or clear with a dark end, that surrounds the feces of some species of nestling birds. It allows parent birds to more easily remove fecal material from the nest...
from the nest. Parents have been observed feeding young up to five weeks after leaving the nest.
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.-Habitat:...
(Cacomantis flabelliformis) and Pallid Cuckoo
Pallid Cuckoo
The Pallid Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Australia, Christmas Island, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea....
(C. pallidus) have been recorded as brood parasite
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
s of the Flame Robin; female cuckoos lay their eggs in robin nests, which are then raised by the robins as their own. One Fan-tailed Cuckoo was recorded ejecting baby robins before being raised by its foster parents. Other nest predators recorded include the Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Pied Currawong
Pied Currawong
The Pied Currawong is a medium-sized black passerine bird native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. One of three currawong species in the genus Strepera, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian Magpie of the family Artamidae. Six subspecies are recognised...
(Strepera graculina), and Eastern Brown Snake
Eastern brown snake
The eastern brown snake , often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of genus Pseudonaja. This snake is considered the second most venomous land snake based on its value in mice. It is native to Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.-Description:Adult eastern brown snakes are highly...
(Pseudonaja textilis).
External links
- Flame Robin videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection