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When 45-year-old Brazilian Marcio Conrado Cunha moved to Australia seven months ago, he dreamed of meeting the local fauna, in particular a small bird particular to the country that attracts observers from around the world.
Hey Pink Robin ,Petroica rhodinogaster) draws attention to the male’s plumage, which has a pink belly and chest that contrasts with the black on the rest of the body.
“When I arrived in Tasmania (the Australian island) the pink robin was one of the birds I wanted to see most and it took me a few months to get one. It is relatively common and well distributed here, but it occurs in moist eucalyptus forests, migrating to open, drier habitats in autumn,” he says.
Márcio currently maintains the Bird Check Brasil project to encourage bird watching activities through documentary films.
The Brazilian became a bird observer and photographer 10 years ago and says that, after discovering the place where the species is found, he soon learned to identify it by voice and is now able to regularly spot individuals, especially the females (whose plumage is brownish, in grayish tones).
According to the Cornell Lab’s Global Ornithology Platform, this species can grow up to 13 centimeters in length and weigh up to 11 grams. In addition to being found on the island of Tasmania, the pink robin also inhabits southeast Australia.
While some individuals remain in the same area all year, others move to more open and/or drier habitats, including during the breeding season (from September to March).
The female is responsible for building the nest, which is cup-shaped, and incubating two to four eggs. The babies are fed by both parents until they go on their way.
‘Pink Robin’: Australia’s distinctive bird has a pink breast and fascinates observers from around the world
“The Pink Robin often feeds on insects, spiders and even wasps on the ground”, says Márcio, who has already captured this behaviour and has a collection of various photo and video records of this species.
Although deforestation of rainforests, especially in Tasmania, has reduced the species’ habitat, It is not threatened with extinction globally, but is considered a pink robin in the Australian state of New South Wales Sensitive (VU) By BirdLife International.
