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MAY 2015 | SARAH LLOYD

 

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THERE ARE four species of robin in the Meander Valley.

Three species, the flame, scarlet and pink robins, have brightly coloured male birds with females and young birds mostly brown.

The fourth is the predominantly brown, dusky robin, a slightly larger bird than the other three and one of Tasmania’s twelve resident endemic species.

Robins have complex seasonal movements. The scarlet and flame robins often occur together, but the flame generally prefers wetter forests and will move to higher ground to breed; some birds cross Bass Strait to spend winter on the mainland once breeding has ceased.

Scarlet robins are often seen in agricultural areas as long as there’s still bush close by where they can roost, nest and shelter from inclement weather and predators.

Pink robins are found in rainforest and ferny gullies such as at Liffey Falls, Meander Falls and around the Mole Creek caves.

All robins feed on insects or spiders they take mostly from the ground.

It used to be common to see red-breasted robins sitting on fences along the highways and country roads, or perching on dead thistles, bracken fern or saggs in rough pasture where they would keep an eye out for insects before dropping to the ground to catch their prey.

Dusky robins used to be called ‘stump robins’ because they like perching on the side of stumps that were a feature of pastures after the early days of clearing the bush.

Most rough pasture and old stumps have since been cleared and cleaned up to make way for more intensive agricultural pursuits. These activities are adversely affecting robin populations – and many other birds.

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