Pale Yellow Robin

Description:

The adult Pale-yellow Robin is a small bird, grey-olive above, yellow below, with white or orange sides to the forehead. It has yellowish legs and a short and rather broad bill. The juveniles are red-brown above, pale below and have white streaks. These robins are usually seen in pairs or singly and are quiet and unobtrusive birds. This species is sometimes known as the Buff-faced, Large-headed, Pale or Rufous-lored Robin.

Habitat:

The Pale-yellow Robin is found in moist eucalypt forests, subtropical and tropical rainforests with dense vegetation, such as vine thickets.

Notes:

Distribution: The Pale-yellow Robin is endemic to Australia. It has two disjunct (separate) populations on the east coast, both on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range. The first population occurs in New South Wales, from the upper Hunter (Dungog) to just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. The second population occurs from Townsville to near Cooktown in northern Queensland. Feeding: The Pale-yellow Robin feeds mainly on insects, and sometimes seeds. This species forages on the ground to the middle levels of the forest. They forage among foliage or on the ground, mainly pouncing on prey on the ground or from perches. Breeding: The Pale-yellow Robin builds a cup-shaped nest from grass, rootlets and spiders' web, decorated with moss, bark, lichen and leaves. The nests are usually found one to six metres above the ground in the fork of a shrub or vine in dense vegetation. The eggs are incubated by the female. The male brings food back to the female on the nest. The young are fed by both parents and additional helpers (usually males), if available. If a predator approaches the nest, the parent can distract the predator by faking an injury and drawing the predator away from the nest.