South Island Robin
Petroica australis
The South Island Robin (Petroica australis) is a uncommon australasian robin found only in New Zealand, weighing about 31 g. The South Island robin is a sparrow-sized bird found only in New Zealand, where it has the status of a protected endemic species.
About the South Island Robin
The South Island robin is a sparrow-sized bird found only in New Zealand, where it has the status of a protected endemic species. The birds are sparsely distributed through the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura, although the distribution is not continuous. The nominate, and the Stewart Island robin are the two subspecies. The species is closely related to the North Island robin, and also to the extremely rare black robin of the Chatham Islands.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The South Island robin is a small passerine, 10–18 cm in length and weighing around 35 g. North Island robins do resemble both females and juveniles of the South Island robins, as well as all the Stewart Island robins, which can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between the three. The females and juveniles within a particular group of robins look similar to each other, although newly independent juveniles may not yet have the more lightly coloured breast patch. Voice: A male's call during non-breeding season is a series of loud notes with descending frequency, which start in rapid succession and finish slowly. During breeding season, the males resort to full song to court the females. Full song is a loud, clear, and continuous song, which can last for more than 30 minutes with very brief pauses, and is typically sung from the canopy or an emergent tree.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, July, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a South Island Robin?
- The South Island robin is a small passerine, 10–18 cm in length and weighing around 35 g. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a South Island Robin?
- The South Island Robin is a small sized bird weighing about 31 g.
- Where can you see a South Island Robin?
- The South Island Robin is endemic to New Zealand, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a South Island Robin?
- The South Island Robin is most easily confused with the Rose Robin, the Flame Robin and the Tomtit.
- Is the South Island Robin endangered?
- The South Island Robin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the South Island Robin for real
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