Black Robin
Petroica traversi
The Black Robin (Petroica traversi) is a legendary australasian robin found only in New Zealand, weighing about 24 g. The black robin or Chatham Island robin is an endangered bird from the Chatham Islands off the east coast of New Zealand.
About the Black Robin
The black robin or Chatham Island robin is an endangered bird from the Chatham Islands off the east coast of New Zealand. It is closely related to the South Island robin. It was first described by Walter Buller in 1872. The binomial commemorates the New Zealand botanist Henry H. Travers (1844–1928). Unlike its mainland counterparts, its flight capacity is somewhat reduced. Evolution in the absence of mammalian predators made it vulnerable to introduced species, such as cats and rats, and it became extinct on the main island of the Chatham group before 1871, being restricted to Little Mangere Island thereafter.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black robin is a small, sparrow-sized bird measuring 10–15 centimetres (3.9–5.9 in). Its plumage is almost entirely brownish-black, with a black bill and brownish-black yellow-soled feet. Females are usually slightly smaller than males. Male songs are a simple phrase of 5 to 7 notes. Its call is a high-pitched single note. Their eyes are dark brown. Black robins moult between December and March.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November, with peak activity in March. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black Robin?
- The black robin is a small, sparrow-sized bird measuring 10–15 centimetres (3.9–5.9 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black Robin?
- The Black Robin is a small sized bird weighing about 24 g.
- Where can you see a Black Robin?
- The Black Robin is endemic to New Zealand, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Black Robin?
- The Black Robin is most easily confused with the Mountain Robin, the Solomons Robin and the Snow Mountain Robin.
- Is the Black Robin endangered?
- The Black Robin is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black Robin for real
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