Petroica


Petroica is a genus of Australasian robins, named for their red and pink markings. They are not closely related to the European robins nor the American robins.

Taxonomy

The genus was introduced by the English naturalist, William Swainson, in 1829, with the Norfolk robin as the type species. The generic name combines the Ancient Greek petro- "rock" with oikos "home".
Many species in Australia have a red breast and are known colloquially as "red robins" as distinct from the "yellow robins" of the genus Eopsaltria.

Species and subspecies

The genus contains the following 14 species:
MaleFemaleCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Rose robinPetroica roseaAustralia.
Pink robinPetroica rodinogasterTasmania, southern Australia
Snow Mountains robinPetroica archboldiWest Papua, Indonesia.
Mountain robinPetroica bivittataNew Guinea Highlands
Flame robinPetroica phoeniceasouth-eastern Australia, including Tasmania
Solomons robinPetroica polymorphaSolomon Islands.
Pacific robinPetroica pusillaMelanesia and Polynesia.
Norfolk robinPetroica multicolorNorfolk Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand
Scarlet robinPetroica boodangAustralia, including Tasmania.
Red-capped robinPetroica goodenoviiAustralia.
TomtitPetroica macrocephalaNew Zealand
North Island robinPetroica longipesNorth Island of New Zealand.
South Island robinPetroica australisNew Zealand
Black robinPetroica traversithe Chatham Islands