From Opus

Photo by Layzeboy
South Island subspecies photographed on the Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary, SI, New Zealand

Petroica australis

[edit] Identification

18 cm (7 ins) 35 gm (1.13 ozs) Dark, almost black, with a pale greyish-white lower belly, white spot above the bill. South Island males have a very distinct line between a dark upper breast and a yellowish-white lower chest and belly, wings are dark brownish-black; they also have the white spot above the bill.

Females and juveniles similar to those of North Island. Stewart Island birds are similar to the North Island robins.

[edit] Distribution

Photo by Ornitho26
Female, photographed at Cascade Creek, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

An uncommon endemic found throughout New Zealand

[edit] Taxonomy

Petroica australis (Sparrman, 1788). There are 3 subspecies: North Island Robin (Petroica australis longipes), South Island Robin (P. a. australis) and Stewart Island Robin (P. a. rakiura). Some authors consider the North Island Robin a full species: Petroica longipes (Miller & Lambert, 2006).

[edit] Habitat

Native and exotic forest

[edit] Behaviour

Long legs and an upright stance, inquisitive - almost appears tame

Perches on low branches and flies down to the forest floor - hops

[edit] Diet

Diet includes insects.

[edit] Breeding

Breeding : July-Jan

[edit] Vocalisation

Male has a loud clear song with regional differences - a string of phrases, including pwee-pwee-pwee, usually descending.Call is a soft chirp.

[edit] In Culture

Maori name: Toutouwai

[edit] External Links

Miller, Hilary C. & Lambert, David M. (2006): A molecular phylogeny of New Zealand’s Petroica (Aves: Petroicidae) species based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40(3): 844-855. [1](HTML abstract)