Sept., 1936. The Queensland Naturalist 
15 
of surrounding country. He is a bird that clings ten- 
aciously to the creeks while on his winter sojourn here. 
Suddenly appearing from nowhere in particular generally 
about April, perhaps late in March, a pair of them will 
select a length of creek, and confine their activities to that 
particular spot, seldom venturing any great distance 
away. If you go quietly along, perhaps the female, the 
more daring one of the two, will flash across your path to 
snap up an insect. She is a plain brownish bird, with 
conspicuous white wing bars. If you watch her as she 
settles, you will see that she never packs her wings, but 
hangs them at her side with a constant twitching motion, 
jerking her tail up and down as she does so. The male 
Rose Robin, as though conscious of his brighter colours, is 
not so enterprising, but prefers to lurk in the under- 
growth, only coming forth occasionally to capture his prey. 
He is not a brilliant bird, but is clothed in soft grey and 
delicate pink, with a conspicuous white coral spot. If you 
can overcome his timidity, you will see that he is also ad- 
dicted to this wing and tail shaking. He can’t keep still, 
a characteristic Rose Robin habit. 
Occasionally you will come across a lone creature 
with the plumage of the female, but with a suffusion of 
pink on the breast, an immature male. 
“ Rosie” is classified with the Flycatcher family. 
Having the title “ Robin” inflicted upon him might sug- 
gest relationship with the European Robin, but such is 
not the case. The term “ Robin” has no Ornithological 
significance, being merely used as a term of endearment 
for the British Redbreast, just as we use the term “Willie 
Wagtail” or “Jacky Winter” for some of “Rosie’s” 
family relations. 
He captures his prey in the traditional Flycatcher 
manner, and though by no means a strong footed bird, 
may be observed occasionally clinging sideways to the 
trunk of a tree after the manner of the more familiar 
yellow Robin. 
The observer will soon become familiar with his cal) 
note, and be guided by same. It is a hard note to describe. 
Very low, and short, but quite distinctive. Just before 
he leaves for his mountain seclusion, late August or Sep- 
tember, the male becomes more active in courting the 
female, and develops quite a pretty little song of his own. 
Although somewhat played out as a bird resort, in 
and around, the Mt. Cootha Reserve will be found to be a 
happy hunting ground for lovers of this species, who, with 
experienced eyes and ears, are almost certain to find quite 
a number of these pretty little creatures about. Since writ- 
