March Bird of the Month – the Red-capped Robin
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| Red-capped Robin (C) Chris Dubar 2017 birdlifephotography.org.au |
Between 1962 and 1981 Gladstone kept a notebook in which he recorded bird sightings on his farm and its near surrounds. Each month we will look at one of the birds that Gladstone recorded, try to place it in context and see if we can glean any lessons about the recent history of our district.
The Red-capped Robin
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| Red-capped Robin female. (C) Anne Burgess birdlife photography.org.au |
To see a Red-capped Robin is always a delight. But when we see a bright and healthy looking bird of this family, we can also draw some conclusions about the landscape in which we see it. How so? All will be revealed. But let’s start with an introduction.
The Rock Dwelling Tree Nymph
Early colonists on first seeing these Australian Robins immediately thought of the European Robin Redbreast from home. However, our Robins are not related to the European species. The Red-capped Robin’s scientific name Petroica goodenovii can be translated as rock dwelling tree nymph – a beautiful if seemingly contradictory pair of descriptors.It is one of five Robins in the Petroica family, each one showing the same characteristic red colouring in different ways. The male’s distinctive red cap makes it unmistakable when you see it. The female is not nearly as showy, being a pale buff-grey colour. She usually has a dull reddish smudge of a cap, which helps distinguish her from other female robins.
You usually see them singly or in pairs, perching on low branches, stumps and fence wire from which they fly down to the ground to pounce on insects. Their vigorous and persistent pursuit of insect prey makes them the farmer’s and gardener’s friend. They provide us with what scientists describe as “ecological services”.
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| "Gimme that insect Mum". A fledgling keen to help provide ecological services. (C) Bryon Samuels 2014 birdlifephotography.org.au |
The Red-capped Robin is, perhaps, the most widespread of the Petroica family. It is found in scrub and open woodland across much of Australia. While it is not a threatened or endangered species, its numbers have been declining due almost entirely to our clearing their habitat. Gladstone may not have seen this bird more often because his farm, as was typical for much of his farming life, was largely made up of pasture with not a lot of trees and shrubs.
It is listed as an uncommon visitor in Birds of the Upper Lachlan Shire. The author of this listing, Dr Tony Saunders, says they are more common in western NSW and only move to the coast and deeper into the Upper Lachlan during droughts.
Canthaxanthin and Adonirubin - the Signs of Good Health in Birds and Land
Red-capped Robins need two red keto-carotenoid pigments, canthaxanthin and adonirubin, in order to display their bright and healthy redness to the world (and particularly to other Robins). They must obtain the carotenoids needed to do this from their food as they cannot produce them within their bodies.When we see bright and cheery Red-capped Robins on our farms it tells us two things. Firstly, the very presence of the species means we have active insect controllers at work. And the brightness of their plumage shows they are getting a good balanced diet in a good balanced ecosystem – one that is good for them and good for us.
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| A father Red-capped Robin, carotenid charged colours blazing, helping both his fledgling and farmers. (C) David Newell 2016 birdlifephotography.org.au |
What’s the Future Hold for the Red-capped Robin?
Particularly from the early 1980s onwards progressive land managers (often working with local landcare groups, Greening Australia and other natural resource management organisations) have been restoring habitat in our district and around the country. Not just for the benefit of wildlife. There is compelling evidence that trees, shrubs and native perennial grasses (sensibly placed in sufficient numbers) make for more productive landscapes that are good for the farmer’s bottom line and mental health.Between 1982 and 1999 Greening Australia direct seeded 12,000kms of tree line on some 1,400 properties in our region. In 1999 the organisation partnered with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and the Canberra Ornithologists’ Group to develop the Birdwatch project - their aim being to assess the value of the revegetation as bird habitat.
The study found 113 species had been recorded using the new vegetation sites Greening Australia and participating land managers had created. Many of the species seen fell into the category of insectivorous farmers’ friends. Just what we want to see. But there is more good news.
In our region some 17 woodland bird species are reported to be on the decline. Of these 17 species, 15 were recorded at least once in the Birdwatch surveys. The Red-capped Robin was one of these “decliners”. It was found in 9% of the revegetated sites. This shows us that the increasing incidence of regenerative farming practices offers the prospect of a better future for the Red-capped Robin and many other beautiful and beneficial birds.
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| Fences, posts and small branches offering a good view of insects on the ground below are favoured by Red-capped Robins on the lookout for insects. (C) Ian (C) Ian Wilson 2019 birdlifephotography.org.au |
He joined Greening Australia’s Nicki Taws in undertaking Birdwatch surveys in this block between 2000 and 2012. They did 15 surveys and recorded Red-capped Robins in 13 of them – including at least one nesting pair. John says that, prior to the establishment of this block, it would have been quite unusual to see one of these birds.
Gladstone had ceased active farming by the time large scale environmental landscape restoration gained widespread recognition and acceptance. Were he alive today, he would surely be cheered by these developments.
Further Information
Good first points of contact if you would like to know about regenerative and sustainable agricultural management practices for our district are:• South East Local Land Services
https://southeast.lls.nsw.gov.au/
E mail: enquiry.southeast@lls.nsw.gov.au
• Upper Lachlan Landcare
https://upperlachlanlandcare.org.au/
Phone: 0447 242 474
E-mail: coordinator@upperlachlanlandcare.org.au
• Gunning District Landcare
https://gunningdistrictlandcare.org.au/
Phone: 0447 242 474
E- mail: coordinator@upperlachlanlandcare.org.au
• Greening Australia
https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/
Phone: 6129 5400
E-mail: cbr.admin@greeningaustralia.org.au
• Birds in Backyards
You can read or download a short biography of Gladstone Weatherstone here Gladstone Weatherstone 1910-1996 or have a PDF file sent to you by emailing bobgunninghistoryblog@gmail.com
References
The main sources used in writing this article were:“BRINGING BACK birds. A GLOVEBOX GUIDE Nicki Taws, Greening Australia Capital Region. Feb 2007
“Australian Bird Names – A Complete Guide” Ian Fraser E book edition.
“The Australian Bird Guide” Peter Menkhorst et al. CSIRO Publishing
“Birds of the Upper Lachlan Shire” Dr Tony Saunders. https://www.upperlachlan.nsw.gov.au
Beauty of Birds: Red-capped Robins
https://www.bushheritage.org.au/newsletters/2011/summer/bobbin-robins
Thank You
Thank you to:Nikki Taws, Program Specialist - Ecologist at Greening Australia;
Dr Tony Saunders, ornithologist and President of the Crookwell Native Flora and Fauna Club;
Tony and Nikki reviewed drafts of this article and contributed helpful improvements. Any sillinesses or shortcomings you might find are down to me.
Thank you also to John Weatherstone for providing a transcription of Gladstone’s Notebook and fielding lots of follow up questions about Gladstone related matters.
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