New Zealand has three species of robin, the North Island; South Island; and black robin – found on the Chatham Islands. The black robin made a famous comeback from the brink of extinction – with Old Blue being the only surviving female able to lay fertile eggs.
Their seemingly curious nature is more about foraging, as the birds come close to feed on the insects disturbed by your footprints. Robins will also feed on insect larvae, earthworms and spiders, as well as ripe fruits in the summer time, when insects are less abundant.
As with many New Zealand native species, unfortunately robin populations on the mainland have suffered due to forest clearance and introduced mammalian predators. Most predation will occur during nesting season and can therefore result in populations having a greater proportion of males, as the adult females are killed on the nest.
You can always have a robin in your garden with a Blazen.Metal robin bang’n bird – choose from traditional, koru or insect inlay. 25% off for the month of August.
Bibliography
Moon, G. (2002). A Photographic Guide to Birds of New Zealand. Auckland: New Holland Publishers.
Powlesland, R.G. 2013 [updated 2017]. South Island robin. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
Powlesland, R.G. 2013 [updated 2017]. North Island robin. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
