Colours
Distinguishing features
The plumage of the males and females is dimorphic, and the extent of this varies depending on the subspecies. The male of the nominate race has a black head with a white forehead, a black back and tail, and the wings are also black with a white bar. The breast and belly are red, and the lower belly and rump are white.
The female lacks the white forehead and the white bar on the wing; and the black plumage of the male is replaced by dark brown feathers instead. The breast is a duller red than the male and has more brown on the sides, and the white on the rump also smaller. Both sexes have black legs and bills. Amongst the subspecies, some males have more female-like plumage, for example P. m. femenina of central Vanuatu; in others the female more closely resembles the male. The males of P. m. polymorpha of Makira in the Solomon Islands have two different plumage morphs, including one with no white on the forehead but an all rufous-brown head. (Wikipedia)
Size
- From 11.5 cm to 13.5 cm (Length of specimen)
Wingspan
- Wingspan data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
It inhabits the islands of the south western Pacific. It ranges from Bougainville in Papua New Guinea through the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu down to Norfolk Island (although the species is absent from New Caledonia) and eastwards through Fiji into Samoa.
Across its range the species is resident, although there may be some small localised movements of birds in the non-breeding seasons. (Wikipedia)
Local abundance
- Australia: It is absent from mainland Australia. Sighting records for Australia reflect a time when this species was deemed to be the same as the Scarlet Robin.
Diet
Insects, spiders and pseudoscorpions make up the majority of the diet of Pacific Robins. They generally feed in the lower sections of the forest, although they will ascend to the forest canopy occasionally. They will join with mixed-species feeding flocks in order to forage. Prey is obtained by aerial flycatching, gleaning, sallying and pouncing, with different populations favouring different methods. (Wikipedia)
