Flame Robin

Flame Robin

Petroica phoenicea

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Kosciuszko National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

426 Verified sightings at Kosciuszko National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,186 In all 8 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Flame Robin

The flame robin (Petroica phoenicea) is a small passerine bird native to Australia. It is a moderately common resident of the coolest parts of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Like the other two red-breasted Petroica robins—the scarlet robin and the red-capped robin—it is often simply called the robin redbreast. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic. Measuring 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in) long, the flame robin has dark brown eyes and a small thin black bill. The male has a brilliant orange-red chest and throat, and a white patch on the forehead above the bill. Its upper parts are iron-grey with white bars, and its tail black with white tips. Female coloration is a muted grey-brown. Its song has been described as the most musical of its genus.

The position of the flame robin and its Australian relatives on the passerine family tree is unclear; the Petroicidae are not closely related to either the European or American robins, but appear to be an early offshoot of the Passerida group of songbirds. The flame robin is predominantly insectivorous, pouncing on prey from a perch in a tree, or foraging on the ground. A territorial bird, the flame robin employs song and plumage displays to mark out and defend its territory. It is classified by BirdLife International as least concern. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:47

Australia · 2024

© Romuald Mikusek · XC1170150 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:29

Australia · 2025

© Étienne Leroy · XC1069739 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:47

Australia · 2024

© nick talbot · XC862220 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
2 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
3 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
4 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
5 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
6 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
7 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Flame Robin in Kosciuszko National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Flame Robin sighting in Kosciuszko National Park on a given day, based on 426 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 127 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Flame Robin in Kosciuszko National Park?

May

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Flame Robin in Kosciuszko National Park on a given day, against about 20% in July, the lowest month. June has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Flame Robin?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Flame 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.

Is Kosciuszko National Park the best place to see a Flame Robin?

2nd of 8

Of the 8 parks where we can rate Flame Robin sightings, Kosciuszko National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Maria Island National Park (Australia, about 70%).

Where does the Flame Robin sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Flame Robin is recorded against all the birds logged in Kosciuszko National Park (426 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.

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