Scarlet Robin
Petroica boodang· 鸲鹟科(3 photos)
Scarlet Robin
12-14 cm. Male: black above with large white forehead patch, bold white mark on wing, white edges to tail; upperbreast black; breast scarlet to orange-red; underparts white. Female: pink or red wash on breast; large whitish forehead patch; buff-white broken-arrow wingmark; tail edged white. Immature: like dark female; no red breast. Singles, pairs: in summer, forages in stringybark, other eucalypt woodland; from stumps, low branches, darts to seize prey on ground; in autumn/winter moves locally to more open habitats.
- Similar Species
- Flame Robin, male: grey above, flame-red breast starts at throat; female paler, forehead mark smaller; breast brown.
- Voice
- pretty, lilting, 'wee-cheedalee-dalee'; quiet 'tick'; scolding chatter.
- Habitat
- foothill forests, woodlands, watercourses; in autumn-winter, more open habitats: river red gum woodlands, golf courses, parks, orchards, gardens.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Jan.
- Nest
- untidy cup of bark strips, moss, grass, spiders' web, with strips of bark, lichen; lined with hair, fur, feathers; 1-3 m (sometimes to 16 m), in fork, horizontal branch; loose bark, tree cavity, often charred; in sw. Aust., fork in grasstree.
- Eggs
- 3; pale green/blue, dull white; spotted brown, purplish brown, blue-grey in zone.
- Range & Status
- se. Aust., Tas., sw. WA. In Q, from granite belt n. to c. Chinchilla, casual e. to near Brisbane; in NSW, w. to Moree-Warrumbungle NP (winter visitor to Riverina, w. to c. Moulamein-Barham); in Vic., widespread except nw. mallee; in SA, from se. to Mt Lofty Ras.-s. Flinders Ras., s. Eyre Pen., Kangaroo I.; in WA, w. and s. of Esperance-L. Grace-Lancelin. Fairly common. Seasonally dispersive.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Petroica boodang boodang 2. Petroica boodang leggii 3. Petroica boodang campbelli
