Adults: Above, dark grey-brown. Wings and tail, dusky, with off-white band in base of flight feathers, and outer tail tipped white. Throat, off-white. Below, light brown, with center of belly, white. Eye, brown. Bill, black. Feet, black.
Juveniles: Coursly streaked above and mottled below with brown and white.
Immatures: Uniformly brown.
Other Names (World)
Dusky Robin, Sad Robin, Sleepy Robin, Stump Robin, Tasmanian Robin, Wood Robin, Dozey Robin, Native Sparrow, Sad Bird
Dusky Robin (Melanodryas vittata) [XC830799]
by Peter Boesman from Neck Reserve Camping Area (near South Bruny), Kingborough Council, Tasmania, Australia (call)
Dusky Robin (Melanodryas vittata) [XC565016]
by id from Devonport, Devonport City Council, Tasmania, Australia (song)
Nest
Cup-shaped, composed of rootlets and grass, placed on the side of a stump, at the end of a log, or in a small tree.
Eggs (Guide)
Usually 3; pale green-blue to brown-olive with obscure darker shadings; oval; about 22 x 16 mm. Incubation: about 14 - 15 days. Two, sometimes three broods a season.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 13 - 16 days. Fed by both parents.
Subspecies
Subspecies kingi, is somewhat rustier in color than vittata.
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
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet