Voice
A cheery, trill, metallic and insect-like, not loud but far-carrying. A rapid, tickling, 'did-dit-d-wier, did-dit-d-wier, did-dit-d-wier'. A hard, abrupt, 'tchek tchek' uttered in contact. Rival males chase and threaten with a scolding, 'kek-kekekekek-kekek'.
Nest
Small, cup-shaped, composed of fine shreds of bark and dry grass, bound with cobweb, lined with hair or fur, in a fork of a tree, usually within 1 - 2 m of the ground, but sometimes much higher.
Eggs (Guide)
2 or 3; pale blue-green to grey-white dotted with grey, brown and lavender forming a zone at the larger end; rounded-oval; about 15 x 13 mm. Incubation: about 14 days; by female.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 14 days. Fed by both parents.
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Male with male Flame Robin (Petroica phoenicea) which has a small white forehead mark, is generally dark grey above and female with female Flame Robin (Petroica phoenicea) which has a somewhat bolder white wing panel and lacks any red wash to the forehead and crown.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
More... see more information (images, calls, videos etc)
(30Kb) © ? (
BirdLife International Species Factsheet