The grey-headed robin is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is found in northeastern Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.
Region
Northeastern Australia
Typical Environment
This species inhabits tropical rainforests and vine thickets of the Iron Range and McIlwraith Range on Cape York Peninsula. It favors dense understory, shaded gullies, and forest edges near streams. Birds typically remain within mature forest but will use adjacent secondary growth where cover is intact. Territories are held year-round, and movements are generally local within continuous forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The grey-headed robin is a shy rainforest specialist of the northeastern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It often forages quietly in the dark understory, flicking its tail as it searches for insects. Pairs defend territories year-round and keep to dense vegetation, which makes them easier to hear than to see.
In the Atherton Tableland
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually observed singly or in pairs that maintain year-round territories. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low to mid-level in dense vegetation. Both sexes participate in breeding duties, and the species keeps to cover, reducing exposure to predators.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of soft, clear whistles and piping notes delivered at intervals from concealed perches. Calls include thin seep notes and short trills, often repeated in a steady pattern at dawn.
Plumage
Soft grey head and breast with olive-brown upperparts and a paler whitish belly; subtle buff wash on flanks. The throat is pale, and the plumage appears smooth and uniform without bold streaking.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects and other small arthropods, including beetles, spiders, and caterpillars. Prey is taken by gleaning from leaves, bark, and the forest floor, with occasional short sallies to capture moving insects. It may supplement its diet with small fruits when available but remains primarily insectivorous.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded understory, along fallen logs, and among vine tangles in rainforest. It often works along stream margins and in damp gullies where leaf litter and low foliage provide abundant prey.
