Petroica is a genus of Australasian robins, named for their red and pink markings. They are not closely related to the European robins nor the American robins.
The genus was introduced by the English naturalist, William John Swainson, in 1829, with the Norfolk robin (Petroica multicolor) as the type species.[1] [2] The generic name combines the Ancient Greek petro- "rock" with oikos "home".[3]
Many species in Australia have a red breast and are known colloquially as "red robins" as distinct from the "yellow robins" of the genus Eopsaltria.[4]
The genus contains the following 14 species:[5]
| Male | Female | Common name | Scientific Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose robin | Petroica rosea | Australia. | ||
| Pink robin | Petroica rodinogaster | Tasmania, southern Australia | ||
| Snow Mountains robin | Petroica archboldi | West Papua, Indonesia. | ||
| Mountain robin | Petroica bivittata | New Guinea Highlands | ||
| Flame robin | Petroica phoenicea | south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania | ||
| Solomons robin | Petroica polymorpha | Solomon Islands. | ||
| Pacific robin | Petroica pusilla | Melanesia and Polynesia. | ||
| Norfolk robin | Petroica multicolor | Norfolk Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand | ||
| Scarlet robin | Petroica boodang | Australia, including Tasmania. | ||
| Red-capped robin | Petroica goodenovii | Australia. | ||
| Tomtit | Petroica macrocephala | New Zealand | ||
| North Island robin | Petroica longipes | North Island of New Zealand. | ||
| South Island robin | Petroica australis | New Zealand | ||
| Black robin | Petroica traversi | the Chatham Islands | ||