Australasian robin

Last updated

Australasian robin
Petroica boodang male - Knocklofty.jpg
Scarlet robin, Knocklofty Reserve, Hobart, Tasmania
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Infraorder: Passerides
Family: Petroicidae
Newton, 1888
Genera

See text.

Petroicidae distribution.png
Global range (In red)

The bird family Petroicidae includes 51 species in 19 genera. All are endemic to Australasia: New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. For want of an accurate common name, the family is often called the Australasian robins. Within the family species are known variously as robins, scrub-robins and flyrobins. They are only distantly related to the European robin of Europe, north Africa and western Asia, a member of family Muscicapidae.

Contents

Characteristics

Most species have a compact build with a large, rounded head, a short, straight bill, and rounded wingtips. They occupy a wide range of wooded habitats, from subalpine to tropical rainforest, and mangrove swamps to semi-arid scrubland. All are primarily insectivorous, although a few supplement their diet with seeds. Hunting is mostly by perch and pounce, a favoured tactic being to cling sideways onto a treetrunk and scan the ground below without moving.

Social organisation is usually centered on long-term pair-bonds and small family groups. Most members of the subfamily Eopsaltrinae practice cooperative breeding, with all family members helping defend a territory and feed nestlings.

Nests are cup-shaped, usually constructed by the female, and often placed in a vertical fork of a tree or shrub. Many species are expert at adding moss, bark or lichen to the outside of the nest as camouflage, making it very difficult to spot, even when it is in a seemingly prominent location.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Australasian robin family was first introduced in 1888, as a subfamily with the spelling Petroecinae, by the English ornithologist Alfred Newton. [1]

Although named after true robins, the Australian robins, along with many other insect-eating birds, were originally classified as flycatchers in a huge family Muscicapidae. [2] They were also classified for a time in the whistler family Pachycephalidae, before being placed in their own family Petroicidae, or Eopsaltridae. [3]

The family Petroicidae is a member of the infraorder Passerides which also includes the parvorders Sylviida, Muscicapida and Passerida. [4] It is most closely related to the families Eupetidae (Rail-babbler), Chaetopidae (Rockjumper) and Picathartidae (Rockfowl). [5]

Classification

A comprehensive review, including an analysis of the osteological characters, by Schodde and Mason in 1999 illustrated three groupings, classified as subfamilies below: [6] Testing of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA revealed some changes, and proposed sinking of Tregellasia into Eopsaltria as the white-breasted robin's closest relatives appear to be the two taxa of Tregellasia. [7]

The family contains 51 species divided into 19 genera and 6 subfamilies: [8] [9]

        Petroicinae        
Amalocichlinae

Amalocichla

Pachycephalopsinae

Pachycephalopsis

       Microecinae       
Relationship between the genera [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern yellow robin</span> Species of songbird native to eastern Australia

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.

<i>Eopsaltria</i> Genus of birds

Eopsaltria is a genus of small forest passerines known in Australia as the yellow robins. They belong to the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek for "dawn singer/song" because of their dawn chorus. They are inquisitive and bold birds, and have been reported perching on the shoulders or boots of people in the bush. Open eucalyptus woodlands are their preferred habitat. The ornithologist John Gould likened the behaviour and mannerisms of the eastern and western yellow robin to those of the European robin. The name "yellow robin" itself was applied to the eastern yellow robin by the early settlers of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern scrub robin</span> Species of bird

The southern scrub robin is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it occurs in mallee and heathland in the semi-arid southern parts of the continent, extending from Wyperfeld National Park in Victoria in the east through South Australia to the west coast between Kalbarri and the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park.

<i>Drymodes</i> Genus of birds

Drymodes is a genus of bird in the family Petroicidae. It was traditionally held to have two species, but molecular and behavioural differences led to the split of the New Guinea populations from the northern scrub robin. The paper by Les Christidis and colleagues was published in 2011 and the IOC adopted the split in 2015:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern scrub robin</span> Species of bird

The northern scrub robin is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is found in northern Cape York Peninsula. It was found to be genetically distinct from the Papuan scrub robin, which were thought to be members of the same species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-bellied flyrobin</span> Species of songbird native to New Caledonia

The yellow-bellied flyrobin is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. It is the only species in the genus Cryptomicroeca. The yellow-bellied flyrobin is endemic to New Caledonia, where it occurs on the island of Grande Terre. It occupies a range of habitats, including dry lowlands, woodland, Pinus and Pandanus forest, and humid forest from sea level up to 1,525 m (5,000 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-breasted robin</span> Species of songbird native to southwestern Australia

The white-breasted robin is a passerine bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae and the yellow robin genus Eopsaltria. Occasionally it is placed in the genus Quoyornis Mathews, 1912. It is endemic to southwestern Australia. Unlike many other Australian robins, it lacks bright colours in its plumage, being a predominantly greyish bird with white underparts. Like other closely related Australasian robins, it is a cooperative breeder. It is sedentary, with pairs or small groups maintaining territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western yellow robin</span> Species of songbird native to southern Australia

The western yellow robin is a species of bird in the Australasian robin family, Petroicidae, native to Australia. Described by John Gould in 1838, the western yellow robin and its Australian relatives are not closely related to either the European or American robins, but they appear to be an early offshoot of the Passerida group of songbirds. Ranging between 13.5 and 15.5 cm long, it has grey upperparts, and a grey breast and head, broken by whitish streaks near the bill and below the eye, with a conspicuous yellow belly. The sexes are similar in appearance. Two subspecies are recognized: subspecies griseogularis, which has a yellow rump, and subspecies rosinae with an olive-green rump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangrove robin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea and northern Australia

The mangrove robin is a passerine bird in the family Petroicidae. It is found in the Aru Islands, New Guinea, and northern Australia. The bird's common name refers to its natural habitat. They live in mangrove forests and seldom fly outside these biomes.

<i>Microeca</i> Genus of birds

Microeca is a genus of passerine birds in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. The species in this genus are commonly known as flyrobins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemon-bellied flyrobin</span> Species of bird

The lemon-bellied flyrobin or lemon-bellied flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. Found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive flyrobin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea

The olive flyrobin is a species of bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae that is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-legged flyrobin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea and northern Australia

The yellow-legged flyrobin or yellow-legged flycatcher is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. It is found in New Guinea and Cape York Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canary flyrobin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea

The canary flyrobin, also known as the Papuan flycatcher, canary robin, canary flycatcher, or montane flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests with elevations from 1,100–3,500 m (3,609–11,483 ft). Currently, its population is believed to be stable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torrent flyrobin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea

The torrent flyrobin is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. It is also known as the torrent robin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink robin</span> Species of songbird native to southeastern Australia

The pink robin is a small passerine bird native to southeastern Australia. Its natural habitats are cool temperate forests of far southeastern Australia. Like many brightly coloured robins of the family Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic. Measuring 13.5 cm (5.3 in) in length, the robin has a small, thin, black bill, and dark brown eyes and legs. The male has a distinctive white forehead spot and pink breast, with grey-black upperparts, wings and tail. The belly is white. The female has grey-brown plumage. The position of the pink robin and its Australian relatives on the passerine family tree is unclear; the Petroicidae are not closely related to either the European or American robins, but appear to be an early offshoot of the Passerida group of songbirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated robin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea

The black-throated robin is a species of passerine bird in the Australisian robin family Petroicidae. It is found on the island of New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests at 1,150–2,750 metres above sea-level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded yellow robin</span> Species of songbird native to New Guinea

The banded yellow robin or olive-yellow robin is a species of bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae that is found in New Guinea. It is the only species in the genus Gennaeodryas. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. It has a high mortality rate due to its inability to traverse across a matrix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific robin</span> Species of songbird native to islands in southwestern Pacific

The Pacific robin, is a red-breasted Australasian robin in the passerine bird genus Petroica found in Melanesia and Polynesia. It is similar in plumage to the scarlet robin of Australia, and until recently the two were considered conspecific until split in 1999 by Schodde and Mason. Thirteen subspecies of Pacific robin are currently recognised, and these subspecies display considerable variation in plumage, foraging preferences, and habitat. The Norfolk robin was previously considered a subspecies of the Pacific robin, but is now considered a distinct species.

Kempiella is a genus of birds in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae that are found in Australia and New Guinea.

References

  1. Newton, Alfred (1888). "Wheatear". Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature. Vol. 24 (9th ed.). Edinburgh: Adam & Charles Black. p. 537.
  2. Boles, p. xv
  3. Boles, p. 35.
  4. Dickinson, E.C.; Christidis, L., eds. (2014). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2: Passerines (4th ed.). Eastbourne, UK: Aves Press. pp. xxxvii–xxxiv. ISBN   978-0-9568611-2-2.
  5. Oliveros, C.H.; et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 116 (16): 7916–7925. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.7916O. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1813206116 . PMC   6475423 . PMID   30936315.
  6. Schodde R, Mason IJ (1999). The Directory of Australian Birds : Passerines. A Taxonomic and Zoogeographic Atlas of the Biodiversity of Birds in Australia and its Territories. Collingwood, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN   0-643-06456-7.
  7. Loynes, Kate; Joseph, Leo; Keogh, J. Scott (2009). "Multi-locus phylogeny clarifies the systematics of the Australo-Papuan robins (Family Petroicidae, Passeriformes)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 53 (1): 212–19. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.012. PMID   19463962.
  8. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Australasian robins, rockfowl, rockjumpers, Rail-babbler". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  9. 1 2 Christidis, L.; Irestedt, M.; Rowe, D.; Boles, W.E.; Norman, J.A. (2011). "Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA phylogenies reveal a complex evolutionary history in the Australasian robins (Passeriformes: Petroicidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 61 (3): 726–738. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.08.014. PMID   21867765.

Sources

Further reading