Snow Mountains robin

The Snow Mountains robin, also known as the Snow Mountain robin, is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is endemic to West Papua, Indonesia.

Loading map...

Distribution

Region

New Guinea Highlands (Snow Mountains, West Papua)

Typical Environment

Found in subalpine and alpine zones of the Snow Mountains, especially around the upper treeline and open shrub-tussock mosaics. It frequents stunted, mossy forest edges, heaths, and alpine meadows with scattered rocks and dwarf shrubs. Birds often work sheltered gullies and lee slopes during inclement weather and may descend slightly in poor conditions. Habitat is generally cool, wet, and windy with frequent cloud and mist.

Altitude Range

3000–4200 m

Climate Zone

Highland

Characteristics

Size13–15 cm

Wing Span20–24 cm

Male Weight0.018 kg

Female Weight0.016 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

This high-elevation robin is restricted to the Snow Mountains of West Papua, Indonesia, and is one of the few passerines that regularly occupies alpine habitats in New Guinea. It forages close to the ground in windswept heath and tussock, often near the treeline. Its remote range and rugged terrain make it infrequently observed, so aspects of its ecology remain poorly known.

Behaviour

Temperament

solitary and territorial

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with low sallying flights

Social Behavior

Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories near the treeline. Likely forms monogamous pairs during the breeding season, with a cup-shaped nest placed low in dense shrubs or sheltered mossy niches. Both sexes are assumed to contribute to territory defense.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A soft series of thin, high whistles interspersed with brief trills. Contact calls are sharp, high “tsip”-like notes given while foraging close to the ground.

Unlock detailed bird insights with Pro access today.

Identification

Leg Colorunknown

Eye Colorunknown

Plumage

unknown

Feeding Habits

Diet

Primarily small arthropods such as insects and spiders, taken by perch-and-pounce foraging from low shrubs, rocks, or tussocks. It gleans among moss, leaf litter, and grass clumps, and occasionally hawks short distances for flying prey. Feeding is methodical, with frequent pauses to scan from exposed perches.

Preferred Environment

Edges of subalpine scrub, alpine grasslands, and stunted mossy forest near the treeline. Often forages in sheltered microhabitats like gullies, boulder fields, and densest shrub patches to avoid wind.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

Snow partridge

The snow partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae found widely distributed across the high-altitude Himalayan regions of Pakistan, China, India and Nepal. It is the only species within its genus, and is thought to be the most basal member of the "erectile clade" of the subfamily Phasianinae. The species is found in alpine pastures and open hillside above the treeline but not in as bare rocky terrain as the Himalayan snowcock and is not as wary as that species. Males and females look similar in plumage but males have a spur on their tarsus.

Snow pigeon

The snow pigeon is a species of bird in the genus Columba in the family Columbidae from hilly regions of central Asia. They are grey, black, pale brown and white birds and two subspecies are recognised: C. l. leuconota occurs in the western Himalayas from western Afghanistan to Sikkim and C. l. gradaria occurs in the mountains of eastern Tibet and from eastern Nan Shan (Qinghai) to Yunnan and extreme northern Myanmar. The birds forage in open country in pairs or small groups, feeding on grain, buds, shoots, berries and seeds. They roost at night on cliffs, breeding in crevices where they build untidy stick nests and lay a clutch of usually two white eggs. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird's conservation status as being of least concern.

Snowy albatross

The snowy albatross, also known as the wandering albatross, white-winged albatross, or goonie, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae; they have a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. It is the largest species of albatross and was long considered to be the same species as the Tristan albatross and the Antipodean albatross. Together with the Amsterdam albatross, it forms the wandering albatross species complex, which some began referring to more recently as "snowy".