Eastern yellow robin

The eastern yellow robin is an Australasian robin of coastal and sub-coastal eastern Australia. The extent of the eastern yellow robin's residence is from the extreme southeast corner of South Australia through most of Victoria and the western half of New South Wales and north as far as Cooktown. Tropical Northern Queensland birds are mainly restricted to the warm heights of the Great Dividing Range.

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Distribution

Region

Eastern Australia

Typical Environment

Found from the extreme southeast of South Australia through most of Victoria, eastern and central New South Wales, and north to Cooktown in Queensland. Occupies coastal and sub-coastal forests, woodland, heaths, and riparian corridors with a well-developed understory. Prefers shaded mid- to lower-strata perches near open leaf litter for pouncing on prey. In tropical Queensland it is largely confined to the warmer uplands of the Great Dividing Range.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Other

Characteristics

Size15–16 cm

Wing Span22–25 cm

Male Weight0.018 kg

Female Weight0.017 kg

Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Eastern yellow robins often perch sideways on tree trunks or low branches, sallying out to pounce on prey on the ground. They maintain year-round territories and pairs often stay together across seasons. In the tropics they favor upland slopes of the Great Dividing Range, while farther south they occur down to coastal forests.

Gallery

Range: subsp. chrysorrhoa in green; subsp. australis in yellow; hybrid zone in lime

Behaviour

Temperament

confiding but territorial

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats between perches

Social Behavior

Usually seen in pairs or small family groups holding year-round territories. Pairs build a neat cup nest low to mid-height in forks or vine tangles, using bark strips and spider silk. Some populations show occasional cooperative breeding with helpers assisting at the nest.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Clear, ringing whistles and piping phrases delivered from low to mid-level perches, often repeated in short series. Calls include sharp ticks and soft contact notes used between mates.

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Identification

Leg Colorgrey-brown

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Soft grey upperparts with an olive tinge on the rump, bright yellow underparts, and a pale grey to whitish throat. Wings are grey with a faint whitish wing bar; tail dark with pale edges. Plumage is smooth and neat, giving a compact, rounded appearance.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Primarily hunts insects and other small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and ants. Uses perch-and-pounce tactics, dropping to the ground or snatching prey from trunks and low foliage. Occasionally takes small skinks or other tiny vertebrates.

Preferred Environment

Feeds along shaded forest edges, gullies, and within eucalypt forests with open leaf litter. Often forages from low trunks, fallen logs, and low branches, using short flights to the ground and back.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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