Mangrove Robin

1. Smoky grey to black upperparts with clean white underparts

2. White patches at the base of the black tail, most visible in flight

3. Plump, rounded silhouette and short tail, well-suited for dense mangrove thickets

Mangrove Robins feed primarily on insects and small invertebrates, including crabs, which they hunt by perching low and pouncing onto mud or leaf litter exposed by the tide. Their breeding season in Australia is mainly from September to February, with females building cup-shaped nests lined with bark strips and placed in mangrove forks, usually 1–4.5 meters above ground. Females lay two, sometimes three eggs.The species is highly dependent on intact mangrove habitats, making it vulnerable to coastal development, pollution, and climate change impacts such as rising sea levels.

Mangrove Robins are found exclusively in tropical and subtropical mangrove forests along Australia’s northern coastline, including the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia, as well as in New Guinea and the Aru Islands. They favour areas with large, stilt-rooted mangroves and are typically seen foraging in the lower and middle layers of the canopy or on exposed mudflats at low tide. Early mornings are the best time to spot them, as they are more vocal and active. Patient birdwatchers should listen for their distinctive down-slurred whistle and watch for movement among low branches and tangled roots.