SAVING OUR SPECIES Scarlet robin boodang Vulnerable

The gorgeous scarlet robin is a small insectivorous scattered woodland, paddock trees and , 13 cm long, and is one of ’s three red- grazed paddock. They are also occasionally breasted robins. found in mallee woodland, wet forests, tea- tree swamps and wetlands. The male has a black head and upperparts with a white forehead patch, a bright scarlet chest, white Scarlet robins forage from low perches on belly, white wing stripes and white tail-edges. fallen timber, fence posts and at ground level. Female is less vibrant and similar to the They feed by pouncing on small invertebrates immature male. The scarlet robin’s call is a soft, they find on tree trunks, logs and on the warbling trill. ground, as well as the shrub or canopy layer. It is found from south-east Queensland to south- east , as well as and south-west . In New South Wales, the scarlet robin occurs widely along the coast, Scarlet robins are often spotted perching on tablelands and western slopes. farm fence posts and along fence wires. It breeds in high altitude forest and woodlands If you have trouble telling your red-breasted in spring and summer. As a ‘seasonal robins apart, the male and female scarlet altitudinal migrant’, it moves to the lower robins have a distinctive large white coast, tableland and slopes areas in autumn forehead patch above the bill. and winter.

During non-breeding season scarlet robins are often found in open farming country with

Support local action and help save the scarlet robin

The female scarlet robin is less vibrant than the male. Scarlet robin habitat, with fallen timber and a grassy Photo: Verna Mackenzie understorey. Photo: Rob Armstrong/OEH

Landholders are protecting and improving scarlet The NSW Government’s Biodiversity Conservation robin habitat by retaining trees and leaving fallen Trust encourages and supports landholders to timber and leaf litter on the ground. conserve and manage biodiversity on private land. Landholders are also using fencing to better You can find out more here: www.bct.nsw.gov.au manage stock grazing, controlling weeds and If you want to support property owners looking after replanting native ground cover and shrubs. scarlet robins or in caring for other threatened These revegetation strategies help to re-establish species you can find out more about volunteering suitable non-breeding habitat for the scarlet robin and research projects related to threatened species and many other threatened woodland . A here: mixture of trees, shrubs, grasses and other ground- www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and- cover plants gives them more opportunity to perch plants/threatened-species/help-save-our- and forage for food. Low-level bushy shrubs also threatened-species provide shelter and hiding places from predators. The South East Local Land Services is managing Some landholders are taking a landscape the Environmental Trust-funded ‘Save Our Scarlet conservation approach by working with neighbours Robin’ project which is providing funding to local to re-establish, protect and retain important landholders to protect and restore scarlet robin vegetation corridors. Corridors between patches of habitat. You can find out more here: vegetation allow scarlet robins and other fauna to http://southeast.lls.nsw.gov.au/our-region/key- move safely across the landscape. projects/save-our-scarlet-robin Fortunately, scarlet robins are currently responding well to the various established on-farm native vegetation management practices. These practices include erecting fencing around remaining patches of vegetation and riparian zones, and encouraging Saving our Species is a NSW Government natural regeneration to occur. flagship program targeting on-ground action to secure threatened plants and from If you own property, you can help the long-term extinction. The program aims to increase the survival of the scarlet robin, and other threatened number of species that can survive securely woodland birds, by adopting the land management in the wild. practices that protect, improve and increase native vegetation. Saving our Species can only succeed if we work together. We need your support to ensure that today’s actions help to secure the future of NSW’s threatened species. Cover photo: Dean Ingwersen To find out more about threatened species in Published by Office of Environment and Heritage 59–61 Goulburn Street, Sydney 2000 NSW and the Saving our Species program: Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard). www.environment.nsw.gov.au/SOS Fax: (02) 9995 5999 . TTY: (02) 9211 4723 Email: [email protected] Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au OEH 2018/0429 August 2018