A living ark
North Island robin
A pair of robins. Photo: Peter Reese
Common name: North Island robin
Maori name: toutouwai
Scientific name: Petroica australis longipes
Status: endemic, protected
Inquisitive and confiding; often come to the ground to hunt for invertebrates in leaf litter.
Smaller than a starling and larger than a sparrow they stand upright on long thin legs. Are dark grey with often a white spot above the bill.
Territorial all year especially over breeding season when the male patrols his patch and sings from prominent perches.
Were extinct in Wellington until they were first released into Karori Sanctuary in 2001; 76 birds released in total.
Commonly seen all over the Sanctuary - they may often follow you eating what your footsteps have disturbed.
More robin information
More information about the North Island robin (28kb, pdf)
Press release and Q&A (May 2001, 30kb, pdf)
Link to Research Profile: The food hoarding behaviour of the North Island robin
Link to Research Profile: How successful has the robin translocation programme been?
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