North Island Robin / Toutouwai

The North Island robin (Petroica australis longipes) is one of our friendliest forest birds. It is smaller than a starling, larger than a sparrow and stands upright on long thin legs. It is dark grey to almost black with a white spot above the bill, and a greyish-white lower breast and belly.

Robins feed mostly on the forest floor with a diet of invertebrates supplemented with small fruits in summer and autumn. Robins mature at one year old and the breeding season extends from August to February, during which time each pair may raise three broods. Nests are usually built in forks of tree trunks or branches, and consist of a bulky cup of twigs, bark, fibres, and moss, bound together with cobwebs and lined with tree-fern scales, moss, fine grasses and occasionally with feathers and wool.

Robins are territorial all year but particularly during the breeding season when the male patrols his patch and sings from prominent perches.

Once widespread throughout the North Island, there are now only small populations across the centre of the Island from Taranaki to Bay of Plenty and on offshore islands.

Robin in the Sanctuary

In 2001, the first robins were released in the Sanctuary. Forty birds were transferred from Kapiti Island in 2001 and 36 more in 2002. The majority of robins transferred established territories in the Sanctuary. Pairs were monitored during the 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 breeding seasons and despite a very dry summer in 2003, breeding success was good in both years with an average of 3.6 fledglings/pair produced both years.

The post-breeding season survey in March 2003 produced some interesting results with 55% robins transferred in 2001 and 72% robins transferred in 2002 still present. Almost half (44%) robins banded as juveniles occupied territories in the Sanctuary a year later. Robins flying outside the Sanctuary will be vulnerable to predation, due to their inquisitive nature and habit of feeding on the ground. However, there are still areas available inside the Sanctuary for robins to expand into. A small group of volunteers have begun to monitor a sample of the robin population to determine changes in survival, dispersal and productivity as the population increases.

The robin transfers were made possible by a grant from The R & D Evans Trust that supports conservation projects that will enhance the lives of those who live in the Wellington Region. The grant for Robin release supports not only the transfer and release of the birds, but also restoration of the habitat release site and maintaining biosecurity at the Sanctuary.

Support the North Island Robin

North Island Robin family

We urgently need to understand how robins are surviving in the Sanctuary. Research into how robins feed, move, nest and breed in the Sanctuary will provide us with vital information which can be applied to these and the reintroduction of other endangered species.

From just $10 a month you can help support a robin or another bird species. In return we offer you regular updates on the species you support, but, more importantly, the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a real difference to the conservation of some of New Zealand’s precious wildlife.

Find out more by visiting our Donations page...