Editing Flame robin

{{Short description|Small passerine bird native to southeastern Australia}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2024}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Speciesbox
 | name                = Flame robin
 | status              = LC
 | status_system       = IUCN3.1
 | status_ref          = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2022 |title=''Petroica phoenicea'' |volume=2022 |page=e.T22704819A211339793 |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22704819/211339793 |access-date=26 July 2022}}</ref>
 | image               = Flame_Robin_male_1_-_Jenolan_Caves.jpg
 | image_caption       = male
 | image2              = Flame Robin female 0A2A8864.jpg
 | image2_caption      = female
 | genus               = Petroica
 | species             = phoenicea
 | authority           = [[John Gould|Gould]], 1837
 | range_map           = Flamerobin dist gnangarra.png
}}
[[File:Flame Robin, Eaglehawk Neck..jpg|thumb|Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania]]

The '''flame robin''' ('''''Petroica phoenicea''''') is a small [[passerine]] bird native to [[Australia]]. It is a moderately common resident of the coolest parts of south-eastern Australia, including [[Tasmania]]. Like the other two red-breasted ''Petroica'' robins&mdash;the [[scarlet robin]] and the [[red-capped robin]]&mdash;it is often simply called the ''robin redbreast''. Like many brightly coloured robins of the [[Petroicidae]], it is [[Sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]]. Measuring {{convert|12|–|14|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, the flame robin has dark brown eyes and a small thin black bill. The male has a brilliant orange-red chest and throat, and a white patch on the forehead above the bill. Its upper parts are iron-grey with white bars, and its tail black with white tips. Female coloration is a muted grey-brown. Its song has been described as the most musical of its genus.

The position of the flame robin and its Australian relatives on the passerine family tree is unclear; the Petroicidae are not closely related to either the [[European robin|European]] or [[American robin]]s, but appear to be an early offshoot of the [[Passerida]] group of [[songbird]]s. The flame robin is predominantly [[insectivore|insectivorous]], pouncing on prey from a perch in a tree, or foraging on the ground. A [[territory (animal)|territorial]] bird, the flame robin employs song and plumage displays to mark out and defend its territory. It is classified by [[BirdLife International]] as least concern.

==Taxonomy==
The flame robin was first [[Species description|described]] by the French [[natural history|naturalist]]s [[Jean René Constant Quoy]] and [[Joseph Paul Gaimard]] in 1830 as ''Muscicapa chrysoptera''.<ref>Quoy, Jean René Constant; Gaimard, Joseph Paul in Dumont-d'Urville, J. (1830). ''Voyage de découvertes de l'Astrolabe exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les anneés 1826–1827–1828–1829, sous le commandement de M.J. Dumont-d'Urville''. Zoologie. Paris: J. Tastu Vol. '''1'''</ref> The [[specific name (zoology)|specific epithet]] ''chrysoptera'' is derived from the [[Ancient Greek]] words {{Transliteration|grc|chrysos}} 'golden', and {{Transliteration|grc|pteron}} 'feather'.<ref name=Liddell1980>{{cite book | author = Liddell, Henry George | author-link = Henry Liddell | author2 = Scott, Robert | author2-link = Robert Scott (philologist) | year = 1980 | title = [[A Greek–English Lexicon]] | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | location = Oxford, United Kingdom | isbn = 0-19-910207-4 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/lexicon00lidd/page/615 615, 791] | edition = Abridged }}</ref>

[[John Gould]] placed the flame robin in its current genus as ''Petroica phoenicea'' in his 1837 description, and it was this latter binomial name that has been used since that time. Given this, Quoy and Gaimard's name was declared a ''[[nomen oblitum]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Species ''Petroica (Littlera) phoenicea'' Gould, 1837|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/234a4598-0331-4881-aaa9-9f635d1890d9|access-date=26 August 2010|author=((Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts))|date=October 9, 2008|publisher=Australian Government|work=Australian Biological Resources Study: Australian Faunal Directory|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012084338/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/234a4598-0331-4881-aaa9-9f635d1890d9|archive-date=12 October 2012}}</ref> The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek words {{Lang|grc|petros}}, 'rock', and {{Lang|grc|oikos}}, 'home', from the birds' habit of sitting on rocks.<ref>Boles, p. 66.</ref> The [[specific name (zoology)|specific epithet]] is also derived from Ancient Greek, from the adjective {{Transliteration|grc|phoinikeos}} 'crimson, dark red'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling|title=Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird-names|last=Jobling|first=James A.|year=2010|access-date = 2020-04-23}}</ref> It is one of five red- or pink-breasted species [[common name|colloquially]] known as "red robins", as distinct from the "yellow robins" of the genus ''[[Eopsaltria]]''. Although named after the [[European robin]], the flame robin is not closely related to either it or the [[American robin]].<ref name="Boles, p. xv"/> The Australian robins were placed in the [[Old World flycatcher]] family [[Muscicapidae]],<ref name="Boles, p. xv">Boles, p. xv.</ref> and the whistler family [[Pachycephalidae]],<ref name=Boles35>Boles, p. 35.</ref> before being [[Biological classification|classified]] in their own family [[Petroicidae]].<ref name=Boles35/><ref>Gill, F. and D. Donsker, eds. (2020). IOC World Bird List (v 10.1). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.1.  http://www.worldbirdnames.org/</ref> [[Charles Sibley|Sibley]] and [[Jon Edward Ahlquist|Ahlquist]]'s [[DNA-DNA hybridisation]] studies placed the robins in a [[Corvida]] [[parvorder]] comprising many tropical and Australian passerines, including [[Pardalotidae|pardalotes]], [[Maluridae|fairy-wrens]] and [[Meliphagidae|honeyeaters]], as well as crows.<ref name="SibAhl">{{cite book|author1=Sibley, Charles G. |author2=Ahlquist, Jon E. |title=Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution |publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven, Connecticut|year=1990|pages=603, 610–27|isbn=0-300-04085-7}}</ref> However, subsequent [[molecular phylogenetics|molecular]] research (and current consensus) places the robins as a very early offshoot of the [[Passerida]], or "advanced" songbirds, within the [[songbird]] lineage.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Barker, F. Keith |author2=Cibois, Alice |author3=Schikler, Peter A. |author4=Feinstein, Julie |author5=Cracraft, Joel |year=2004 |title=Phylogeny and diversification of the largest avian radiation. |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] |volume=101 |issue=30 |pages=11040–45 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0401892101 |url=http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/0401892101v1.pdf |access-date=14 August 2008 |pmid=15263073 |pmc=503738 |bibcode=2004PNAS..10111040B |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309053127/http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/0401892101v1.pdf |archive-date=2008-03-09 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref>

No [[subspecies]] are recognised,<ref name=Higgins666>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 666.</ref> and the degree of geographic variation is unclear. Adult male birds which breed on the mainland have been reported as having lighter upperparts and underparts than their Tasmanian relatives, and females are said to be browner, but these differences may also result from worn plumage. Furthermore, migration across the [[Bass Strait]] by some birds obfuscates the issue. Mainland and Tasmanian birds are the same size.<ref name=Higgins681>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 681.</ref> Ornithologists [[Richard Schodde]] and Ian Mason argued that the poor quality of museum collections and partially migratory habits meant that discrete subspecies could not be distinguished on the basis of the observed variation within the species.<ref name=schodde99>{{cite book|author1=Schodde, Richard |author-link=Richard Schodde |author2=Mason, Ian J.|year=1999|title=The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines. A taxonomic and zoogeographic atlas of the biodiversity of birds of Australia and its territories|pages=273–75|publisher=CSIRO Publishing|location=Melbourne|isbn=0-643-06456-7}}</ref>

Flame-breasted robin was the [[common name]] formerly used for the species, and it was gradually abbreviated to flame robin.<ref name=Boles88>Boles, p. 68.</ref> Other names recorded include bank robin, redhead, and (inaccurately) robin redbreast.<ref name=Higgins666/> Flame robin is the preferred vernacular name of the [[International Ornithological Congress]].<ref>Frank Gill and Minturn Wright, ''Birds of the World: Recommended English Names'', Princeton University Press, 2006.</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Flame robin.jpg|thumb|right|The flame robin, ''Petroica phoenicea'', 1931 by [[E. E. Gostelow]]]]
The largest of the red robins, the flame robin is {{convert|12|–|14|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. It has a more slender build than other members of the genus ''Petroica'', with relatively long wings and neck and small head.<ref name=Higgins666/> The male is easily distinguished by the bright orange-red [[Feather|plumage]] of the throat, breast, and abdomen. The crown, [[nape]], ear [[covert feather|coverts]], hindneck, and sides of neck are dark grey, and [[Bird anatomy#Head|lores]] and chin are a grey-black. The grey feathers of the sides of the [[crown (anatomy)|crown]] may be suffused with dull orange.<ref name=Higgins678>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 678.</ref> The rest of the upperparts, comprising the wings, back and tail, are dark grey. There is a small, white frontal spot above the bill, and the wing bar and outer tail shafts are white. The feathers of the posterior belly, flanks, and vent are white with grey-black bases. The female is plainly coloured—pale brown overall, and a lighter [[buff (colour)|buff]] underneath.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-16 |title=Unveiling the Enchanting World of Birds with Red Head |url=https://theblogadventure.com/birds-with-red-head-exploring-natures-charms/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |language=en-US}}</ref> The lower belly, sides, and underside are a soft off-white colour. Similar to the male, feathers on the sides of the crown might have a subtle hint of dull orange, and this coloration could also extend to the feathers on the breast area. There are small, off-white marks on the wings and above the bill.<ref name=Higgins679>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 679.</ref> The bill, legs, feet, and claws are black, and the eyes dark brown.<ref name=Higgins680>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 680.</ref> A flame robin with an all lemon-yellow breast and otherwise female plumage was observed in a small flock of flame robins near [[Swansea, Tasmania|Swansea]], in eastern Tasmania, in September 1950.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Xanthochroism in scarlet robin, ''Petroica multicolor'', and flame robin, ''P. phoenicea''|author=Wall, L. E.|journal=Emu| volume=66|issue=3|page=297|year=1967|doi=10.1071/mu966295d|bibcode=1967EmuAO..66..297W }}</ref>

Nestlings have dark grey or brown [[down feather|down]],<ref name=Higgins679/> cream to grey bills, cream [[gape]]s and orange throats.<ref name=Higgins680/> The plumage of juvenile birds in their first moult resembles that of the adult female, but the head and upperparts are streaked and slightly darker.<ref name=Higgins679/> Soon after [[fledge|fledging]], juveniles moult into their first immature plumage, and more closely resemble the adult female. The breasts of male juveniles may have some orange feathers. Birds in their second year moult into a second immature phase, some males of which may resemble adult males, while others retain a more immature brown plumage.<ref name=Higgins680/> Determining the age and sex of birds in brown plumage can be very difficult.<ref name="Higgins681"/> Information on exact timing of moulting is lacking, but the replacement of [[primary feather]]s takes place over the summer months between December and February.<ref name=Higgins680/>

The colour alone is not a reliable guide to determine the species, as some [[scarlet robin]]s (''P.&nbsp;boodang'') take on an orange hue, but while male scarlet and [[red-capped robin]]s (''P.&nbsp;goodenovii'') have red breasts and black throats, the flame robin's breast plumage extends right up to the base of the bill. It is also a little slimmer and has a smaller head than the scarlet robin, and is clearly larger than the red-capped robin.<ref name = "Simpsday">{{cite book |author1=Simpson, Ken |author2=Day, Nicolas |author3=Trusler, Peter | title = Field Guide to the Birds of Australia | publisher = Viking O'Neil | year = 1993 | location = Ringwood, Victoria | page = 174 | isbn = 0-670-90478-3}}</ref> Females of the respective species are harder to tell apart. Those of red-capped, [[rose robin|rose]], and [[pink robin]]s are all smaller, with wing lengths less than {{convert|7|cm|in|abbr=on}}, smaller than the smallest flame robin. The female scarlet robin has a more pronounced red flush to the breast and the spot on the forehead above the bill is more prominent and white rather than off-white.<ref name=Higgins681/>

The flame robin's [[Bird vocalization|calls]] are grouped into louder and quieter calls; the former can be heard from {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on}} away, while the latter, which are often briefer, from {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Loud songs make up almost 90% of calls in spring, summer, and autumn, but less than 50% of calls from May to July. Males sing rarely during this time, although they do so to defend their territories.<ref name=Higgins675>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 675.</ref> Their song is more varied and complex than that of the scarlet robin,<ref name="North03">{{cite book|last = North|first = Alfred J.|title = Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania|url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/31727#198|access-date = 19 August 2010|edition = 2nd|year = 1903|volume = 1|publisher = Australian Museum/F.W. White|location = Sydney|pages = 165–67|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120923190135/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/31727#198|archive-date = 2012-09-23|url-status = live}}</ref> and has been described as the most musical of the red robins. A series of descending notes in groups of three, the musical song has been likened to the phrases, "''you-may-come, if-you-will, to-the-sea''"<ref>Slater, Peter (1974) ''A Field Guide to Australian Birds: Passerines''. Adelaide: Rigby. {{ISBN|085179813-6}}</ref> or "''you-are-not a-pretty-little-bird like-me''". Both males and females sing this song, often perched from a vantage point, such as a stump or fence.<ref name=North03/> This loud song is used to attract the attention of a potential mate, and to announce the bringing of food to its mate or young. The softer call has been described as a ''{{Not a typo|tlip}}'', ''{{Not a typo|terp}}'' or ''{{Not a typo|pip}}'', and is used as a contact call in the vicinity of the nest.<ref name=Higgins676>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 676.</ref><!-- cites both previous sentences --> The female makes a hissing sound, if approached while on the nest,<ref name=North03/> and the male has been recorded making a wheezing call when displaying around the nest.<ref name="robinson90">{{cite journal|doi=10.1071/MU9900040|last=Robinson|first=Doug|year=1990|title=The Nesting Ecology of Sympatric Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor and Flame Robin ''Petroica phoenicea'' Populations in Open Eucalypt Forest|journal=Emu|volume=90|issue=1|pages=40–52}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
The flame robin is found in temperate regions of southeastern Australia and all over Tasmania, although it is less common in the southwest and west. In [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], it is more common in uplands than lower altitudes.<ref name=Higgins667>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 667.</ref> It ranges from the [[Adelaide Plains|Adelaide]] and Murray Plains around the mouth of the [[Murray River]] in southeastern South Australia, across Victoria, and into the [[South West Slopes]] and southern regions of New South Wales. Further north, it is found along the [[Great Dividing Range]] and its western slopes, with a few records from southeast Queensland.<ref name=Higgins668>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 668.</ref> Within its range, it is generally migratory, moving from alpine and subalpine regions to lowlands in winter, although the breeding and non-breeding ranges overlap. There is some evidence that male birds migrate several days before the females. It is unclear what proportion of Tasmanian birds cross [[Bass Strait]] to winter in Victoria.<ref name=Higgins669>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 669.</ref> Birds which remain in Tasmania move away from breeding areas, and are found in paddocks in loose flocks of up to fourteen birds. They have left these areas by August, and immature birds appear to disperse earlier.<ref>{{cite journal|
doi=10.1071/MU969235d|
title=Composition of Flame Robin Flocks Wintering in Tasmania |author=Thomas, D. G.|journal=Emu| volume=69|issue= 4| pages=240–41| year=1969|
bibcode=1969EmuAO..69..240T }}</ref> A [[field study]] in the outer Melbourne suburb of [[Langwarrin, Victoria|Langwarrin]] showed that climate did not influence peak abundance of flame robins there.<ref>{{cite journal|
doi = 10.1071/MU09023|
title = Altered timing of avian movements in a peri-urban environment and its relationship to climate |author = Chambers, Lynda E.|journal = Emu| volume = 110|issue = 1| pages = 48–53| year = 2010|
bibcode = 2010EmuAO.110...48C |
s2cid = 85038462 }}</ref> The international organisation [[BirdLife International]] has regraded it from ''[[Least Concern]]'' to ''[[Near Threatened]]'' in 2004, due to its population decline over the previous 25 years.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> The Australian Government had classified it as ''Least Concern'', but noted evidence of decline at the edges of its non-breeding range;<ref name="Garnett00">{{cite web|publisher = Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government|url = http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/birds2000/pubs/flame-robin.pdf|title = Taxon summary: Flame Robin|work = Environment Australia|year = 2000|author = Garnett, Stephen T.|access-date = 9 August 2010|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110328003052/http://environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/birds2000/pubs/flame-robin.pdf|archive-date = 28 March 2011}}</ref> it has become rare in South Australia,<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Paton, D. C. |author2=Carpenter, G. |author3=Sinclair, R. G. |year=1994|title=A second bird atlas of the Adelaide region. Part 1: changes in the distribution of birds: 1974&ndash;75 vs 1984&ndash;85|journal= South Australian Ornithologist|volume= 31|pages=151–93}}</ref> and uncommon in the lowlands of Victoria.<ref name=Garnett00/> Flame robins are not rare in the Victorian high country. They are frequently encountered at high elevations on the Great Dividing Range, especially in sparser snow gum woodland and similar habitat, and during the summer breeding season are one of the most reliably observed species around the summit of Mount Macedon, NW of Melbourne.

In spring and summer, the flame robin is more often found in wet eucalypt forest in hilly or mountainous areas, particularly the tops and slopes, to an elevation of {{convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It generally prefers areas with more clearings and less [[understory]]. In particular, it prefers tall forests dominated by such trees as snow gum (''[[Eucalyptus pauciflora]]''), mountain ash ( ''[[Eucalyptus regnans|E.&nbsp;regnans]]''), alpine ash (''[[Eucalyptus delegatensis|E.&nbsp;delegatensis]]''), manna gum (''[[Eucalyptus viminalis|E.&nbsp;viminalis]]''), messmate stringybark (''[[Eucalyptus obliqua|E.&nbsp;obliqua]]''), black gum (''[[Eucalyptus aggregata|E.&nbsp;aggregata]]''), white mountain gum (''[[Eucalyptus dalrympleana|E.&nbsp;dalrympleana]]''), brown barrel (''[[Eucalyptus fastigata|E.&nbsp;fastigata]]''), narrow-leaved peppermint (''[[Eucalyptus radiata|E.&nbsp;radiata]]''), and black peppermint (''[[Eucalyptus amygdalina|E.&nbsp;amygdalina]]''). It is occasionally encountered in [[temperate rainforest]]. In the autumn and winter, birds move to more open areas, such as grasslands and open woodlands, particularly those containing river red gum (''[[Eucalyptus camaldulensis|E.&nbsp;camaldulensis]]''), Blakely's red gum (''[[Eucalyptus blakelyi|E.&nbsp;blakelyi]]''), yellow box (''[[Eucalyptus melliodora|E.&nbsp;melliodora]]''), grey box (''[[Eucalyptus microcarpa|E.&nbsp;microcarpa]]''), and mugga ironbark (''[[Eucalyptus sideroxylon|E.&nbsp;sideroxylon]]''), at lower altitude.<ref name=Higgins667/><!-- cites para -->

Flame robins often become more abundant in areas recently burnt by [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfires]], but move away once the undergrowth regrows.<ref name=Higgins667/> They may also move into logged or cleared areas in forests.<ref name=Higgins668/> However, a field study in the Boola Boola State Forest in central [[Gippsland]] revealed they are not found in areas where the regrowth after logging is dense.<ref name="Loyn80">{{cite journal|last=Loyn|first=Richard H.|year=1980|title=Bird populations in a mixed Eucalypt forest used for production of wood in Gippsland, Victoria|journal=Emu|volume=80|issue=3|pages=146–56|doi=10.1071/mu9800145|bibcode=1980EmuAO..80..145L }}</ref>

==Behaviour==
[[File:Petroica phoenicea 2 - Goat's Beach.jpg|thumb|Flame robin near Goat's Beach, Tasmania, Australia]]
The flame robin mostly breeds in and around the [[Great Dividing Range]], the Tasmanian highlands, and islands in Bass Strait.<ref name=Ber03/> With the coming of cooler autumn weather, most birds disperse to lower and warmer areas, some travelling as far as eastern [[South Australia]], southern Queensland, or (in the case of some Tasmanian birds) across Bass Strait to Victoria. Birds breeding in the warmer climates north of the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]] in [[New South Wales]] tend to retain their highland territories all year round. Outside the breeding season, birds may congregate in loose flocks, but they are most usually encountered throughout the year singly or in pairs, the latter more commonly in breeding season.<ref name=Higgins672>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 672.</ref>

When perched or between bouts of foraging on the ground, the flame robin holds itself in a relatively upright pose, with its body angled at 45° or less from the vertical, and its wings held low below its tail. It impresses as nervous and twitchy, flicking its wings alternately when still. The flame robin's flight is fast, with a markedly undulating character.<ref name=Higgins667/><!-- cites previous three sentences-->

The flame robin is [[territory (animal)|territorial]], defending its territory against other members of its species, and also against scarlet robins where they co-occur. In [[Nimmitabel, New South Wales|Nimmitabel]] in southern New South Wales, migratory flame robins invaded and eked out their territories from amid existing scarlet robin territories. Once settled, however, no species dominated over the other and stable boundaries emerged.<ref name="robinson89">{{cite journal|doi = 10.1071/MU9890093|last = Robinson|first = Doug|year = 1989|title = Interspecific Aggression and Territorial Behavior Between Scarlet Robin ''Petroica multicolor'' and Flame Robin ''P. phoenicea''|journal = Emu|volume = 89|issue = 2|pages = 93–101| bibcode=1989EmuAO..89...93R }}</ref> The flame robin deploys a number of [[Agonistic behaviour|agonistic]] displays, including a breast-puffing display where it puffs its breast feathers, and a white spot display where it puffs its feathers to accentuate its frontal white spot, white wing markings or white outer tail feathers. They may also fly at intruders or sing to defend their territory.<ref name="robinson89"/>

===Courtship and breeding===
[[File:Flame robin (Petroica phoenicea) juvenile with insect South Bruny.jpg|thumb|Juvenile with insect]]
[[File:Flame Robin girraween.ogg|thumbtime=9|thumb|Male and female, Girraween National Park, southern Queensland]]
Several courtship behaviours have been recorded. Males have been recorded feeding females.<ref name=Higgins674>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 674.</ref><!-- cites previous two sentences --> A male flame robin either lands next to and moves a female off her perch, or flies in front of her. Courting males also run to and fro in front of a female, in a crouch with wings and head lowered, and hiding their breast feathers. In both displays, the male proceeds to chase the female. Pairs are generally [[Monogamous pairing in animals|monogamous]], and remain together unless one bird perishes, although "divorces" have been recorded.<ref name="robinson90ibis">{{cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Doug|year=1990|title=The social organization of the Scarlet Robin ''Petroica multicolor'' and Flame Robin ''P. phoenicea'' in southeastern Australia: a comparison between sedentary and migratory flycatchers|journal=Ibis|volume=132|issue=1|pages=78–94|doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.1990.tb01018.x}}</ref><!-- cites previous four sentences -->

The breeding season is August to January with one or two broods raised.<ref name=Ber03/> The male proposes suitable nest sites to the female by hopping around the area. Unlike other robins, the female sometimes initiates the site selection. A pair spends anywhere from one to five days looking before finding a suitable site. The female constructs the nest alone.<ref name="robinson90"/> Eucalypts are generally chosen, but birds have been recorded nesting in ''[[Pinus radiata]]'' on [[Mount Wellington (Tasmania)|Mount Wellington]] in Tasmania. The flame robin is more versatile in its selection of nesting sites than other robins, and has even been recorded nesting in sheds.<ref name="chisholm60">{{cite journal|last=Chisholm|first=Alec H.|year=1960|title=Remarks on robins|journal=Emu|volume=60|issue=4|pages=221–35|doi=10.1071/MU960221|bibcode=1960EmuAO..60..221C }}</ref><!-- cites previous two sentences -->

The nest is a neat, deep cup made of soft dry grass, moss, and bark. [[Spider web]]s, feathers, and fur are used for binding/filling, generally in a tree fork or crevice, or cliff or riverbank ledge, typically within a few metres of the ground. The clutch generally numbers three or four dull white eggs, which are laid on consecutive days.<ref name=Higgins677>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 677.</ref> They are tinted bluish, greyish or brownish, and splotched with dark grey-brown, and measure 18&nbsp;mm x 14&nbsp;mm.<ref name=Ber03>{{cite book  | last = Beruldsen  | first = Gordon  | title = Australian Birds: Their Nests and Eggs  | publisher = self  | year = 2003  | location = Kenmore Hills, Queensland  | page = 341 | isbn = 0-646-42798-9}}</ref> A field study in open eucalypt forest at Nimmitabel found that flame robins and scarlet robins chose different sites to breed, the former in tree hollows and bark crevices, most commonly of ''Eucalyptus viminalis'' around {{convert|4|m|ft|abbr=on}} off the ground, and the latter more commonly in forks or on branches of ''E.&nbsp;pauciflora'' around {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the ground. Flame robins, which were migratory at the site, were more successful in raising young, but the success rate of scarlet robins in the area appeared to be poor compared with other sites.<ref name="robinson90"/>

[[Avian incubation|Incubation]] has been recorded as averaging around 17 days.<ref name="robinson90"/> Like all passerines, the chicks are [[altricial]]; they are born blind and naked, and start to develop [[down feather|down]] on their heads on day two. Their eyes open around day six, and they begin developing their primary flight feathers around day nine or ten.<ref name=Higgins678/> For the first three days after hatching, the mother feeds the nestlings alone, with food brought to her by the father. The father feeds them directly from the fourth day onwards, with the mother brooding them afterward until day seven.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1071/MU966347|author=Cooper, R. P.|year=1967|title=Unusual nesting sites of the Flame Robin|journal=Emu|volume=66|issue=4|pages=347–51|bibcode=1967EmuAO..66..347C }}</ref> Flies, butterflies, moths, caterpillars, and beetles predominate in the food fed to the young birds. Flame robins fed a higher proportion of flying insects to their young at Nimmitabel than did scarlet robins, which may have been due to their later start to breeding.<ref name="robinson90"/> Both parents participate in removing [[Fecal sac|faecal sacs]] from the nest.<ref name=cooper70>{{cite journal|title=The Flame robin on Wilson's Promontory| author=Cooper, R. P.|journal=Australian Bird Watcher |volume=3 |pages=227&ndash;35|year=1970}}</ref> Parents have been observed feeding young up to five weeks after leaving the nest.<ref name=Higgins678/>

The [[fan-tailed cuckoo]] (''Cacomantis flabelliformis'') and [[pallid cuckoo]] (''C.&nbsp;pallidus'') have been recorded as [[brood parasite]]s of the flame robin;<ref name=Higgins678/> female cuckoos lay their eggs in robin nests, which are then raised by the robins as their own. One fan-tailed cuckoo was recorded ejecting baby robins before being raised by its foster parents. Other nest predators recorded include the [[grey shrikethrush]] (''Colluricincla harmonica''), [[pied currawong]] (''Strepera graculina''), and [[eastern brown snake]] (''Pseudonaja textilis'').<ref name="robinson90"/><!-- cites both previous -->

===Feeding===
Like all [[Petroicidae|Australasian robins]], the flame robin is a perch and pounce hunter, mainly eating [[insect]]s, and often returning to a favourite low perch several times to stand erect and motionless, scanning the leaf-litter for more prey. They are typically seen in pairs (during the spring and summer breeding season) or in loose companies in more open country during winter, when they more commonly feed on the ground.<ref name=Higgins671>Higgins ''et al.'', p. 671.</ref><!-- cites para --> A field study in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales found no significant difference in foraging behaviour between male and female flame robins.<ref>{{cite journal|doi = 10.1071/MU9904|title = The Foraging Ecology of Birds of Eucalypt Forest and Woodland. I. Differences Between Males and Females|author1=Recher, Harry F. |author2=Holmes, Richard T. |journal = Emu|volume = 100|issue = 3|pages = 205–15|year = 2000| bibcode=2000EmuAO.100..205R |s2cid = 84430716}}</ref> Birds have been recorded foraging for insects in furrows in freshly ploughed fields.<ref name=North03/> In [[Deniliquin]], a flame robin was observed holding one foot forward and pattering the ground repeatedly to disturb ground-dwelling insects, and then watching and snapping up any which emerged; this behaviour is otherwise seen in [[wader]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1071/MU954278b|title=Flame Robin's 'Foot Pattering' Feeding Habit|author=Hobbs, John N. |journal=Emu|volume=54|issue=4|pages=278–79|year=1954|bibcode=1954EmuAO..54R.278H }}</ref>

Compared with the scarlet robin, the flame robin eats a higher proportion of flying insects. Biologist, Doug Robinson, has proposed that scarcity of flying insects in winter is a reason why the flame robin migrates.<ref name=RobCorella>{{cite journal|author=Robinson, Doug|year=1992|title=Why do Flame Robins ''Petroica phoenicea'' migrate? A comparison between the social and feeding ecologies of the Flame Robin and Scarlet Robin ''P. multicolor''. |journal=Corella|volume=16|pages=1–14}}</ref> They have been seen in [[Mixed-species feeding flock|mixed-species flocks]] with other small insectivorous passerines, such as scarlet robins, [[hooded robin]]s (''Melanodryas cucullata''), [[white-fronted chat]]s (''Epthianura albifrons''), and [[Australian pipit]]s (''Anthus australis'').<ref name=Higgins666/>

Among the types of insects consumed are many families of [[beetle]]s, [[wasp]]s, and ants, [[diptera|flies]] (families [[Horse-fly|Tabanidae]] and [[Asilidae]]), [[hemiptera|bugs]], and caterpillars. Other invertebrates eaten include [[spider]]s, [[millipede]]s and [[Oligochaeta|earthworms]].<ref name=Higgins672/> The flame robin consumes small prey items whole, and bashes larger victims against a hard surface repeatedly to break up before eating. The latter group constitute only 0.5% of prey over time—seasonally varying from a peak of 1.8% in autumn to a low of 0.2% of prey caught in winter.<ref name=RobCorella/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Cited texts===
* {{Cite book |last=Boles |first=Walter E. |year=1988 |title=The Robins and Flycatchers of Australia |location=Sydney |publisher=Angus & Robertson |isbn=0-207-15400-7}}
* {{Cite book |editor=Higgins, Peter J. |editor2=Peter, Jeffrey M |year=2002 |title=Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds |title-link=Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds |volume=6: ''Pardalotes to Shrike-thrushes'' |location=Melbourne |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-553762-9 |oclc=1173995678}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikispecies|Petroica phoenicea}}
* {{EBirdSpecies|flarob1|Flame Robin}}

{{Petroicidae}}
{{Portal bar|Birds}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q931191}}

[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1837]]
[[Category:Birds of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Birds of South Australia]]
[[Category:Birds of Tasmania]]
[[Category:Birds of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Endemic birds of Australia]]
[[Category:Petroica]]
[[Category:Taxa named by John Gould]]