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.
Region
Chatham Islands, New Zealand
Typical Environment
Now restricted to predator-free islands within the Chatham group, primarily Mangere and Rangatira (South East) Islands, with origins on Little Mangere. It inhabits low coastal forest, scrub, and regenerating bush with dense understory and ample leaf litter. Birds forage close to the ground, using fallen logs, root tangles, and trunks for cover. Nest sites are typically natural cavities, tree hollows, or crevices in dense vegetation. Reintroductions are attempted only where predators can be excluded.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 250 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also known as the Chatham Island black robin, it famously rebounded from a global low of just five birds in 1980, including a single breeding female nicknamed Old Blue. Intensive management, including cross-fostering and predator control, saved the species, though it remains genetically bottlenecked and vulnerable. It is unusually tame, a trait shaped by evolving without mammalian predators.
Illustration of the black robin, the Chatham fernbird, and Lyall's wren, extinct birds from its region, by John Gerrard Keulemans
Mangere Island (left) and Little Mangere Island (right)
Petroica traversi nest from the collection of Auckland Museum
Temperament
confiding yet territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with weak, low-level flights
Social Behavior
Typically found as solitary individuals or in monogamous pairs that defend year-round territories. Nests are placed in cavities or dense shrubs; clutches are small and both parents feed the young. Fledglings remain with parents for a period while learning to forage on the forest floor.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Males give a soft, melodious series of whistles and trills interspersed with thin piping notes. Contact calls are sharp, high-pitched ticks used frequently while foraging.
