Petroica australis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The South Island robin (Petroica australis; also known in Māori as the kakaruai) is a sparrow-sized bird found only in New Zealand, where it has the status of a protected endemic species. The birds are sparsely distributed through the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura, although the distribution is not continuous. The nominate, and the Stewart Island robin (P. australis rakiura) are the two subspecies. The species is closely related to the North Island robin (formerly P. australis longipes, now considered a distinct species), and also to the extremely rare black robin (P. traversi) of the Chatham Islands.
The South Island robin has two subspecies: P. australis australis, the nominate form, and P. australis rakiura, the Stewart Island robin. These subspecies do not overlap in their distributions. The North Island robin (P. longipes), the tomtit (Petroica macrocephala), and the black robin (Petroica traversi) in the Chatham Islands are closely related species. P. traversi seems to be a Chatham Island derivative of P. australis, although the position of the most recent common ancestor has yet to be determined. The family Petroicidae of Australasian robins has a total... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Robin sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 1,306 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 48 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Robin in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, against about 50% in October, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most South Island Robin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate South Island Robin sightings, Arthur's Pass National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 50%) and Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the South Island Robin is recorded against all the birds logged in Arthur's Pass National Park (1,306 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
