Flame Robin

1. Males have a vivid orange-red breast and throat with slate-grey upperparts.

2. Both sexes show a small white spot above the bill.

3. Females and juveniles are grey-brown with pale wing stripes and white outer tail feathers.

Flame Robins primarily eat insects and other small invertebrates, which they catch by pouncing from a perch to the ground or by snatching prey in mid-air. Outside the breeding season, they may forage in small flocks, sometimes joining mixed groups with other insectivorous birds. The breeding season runs from August to January, with females building cup-shaped nests of grass, bark, spider web, and lichen, usually in tree cavities or sheltered spots up to 2 meters above the ground. Females typically lay 3 eggs. Males assist by feeding the incubating female and both parents feed the young. The species is monogamous, and pairs often remain together for life. Flame Robins are territorial during breeding, using song and visual displays to defend their area. Their high-pitched, musical trill is often described as “you may come if you wish to the sea”.

Flame Robins inhabit southeastern Australia, from southern Queensland through Victoria and into eastern South Australia, as well as across Tasmania. During the breeding season, they favour upland moist eucalypt forests and woodlands with open understorey, often up to 18 meters above sea level In winter, they migrate to lower elevations and more open habitats, including farmland, grasslands, and even urban parks. Some Tasmanian birds migrate to the mainland, while others move to open paddocks in loose flocks. They are often seen perched upright on low branches, posts, or rocks, scanning for insects.