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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Petroicidae
  4. ›
  5. Drymodes
  6. ›
  7. Northern Scrub Robin
Northern Scrub Robin
Photo · (c) Tom Field, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Northern Scrub Robin

Drymodes superciliarisGould, 1850

Updated 22 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Petroicidae
Genus
Drymodes

At a glance

The Northern Scrub Robin is a medium-sized bird, about 22 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
22 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Northern Scrub Robin look like?

The Northern Scrub Robin is a medium-sized bird, about 22 cm long and weighing 26–46 g.

The northern scrub robin is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is found in northern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It was found to be genetically distinct from the Papuan scrub robin, which were thought to be members of the same species.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
22 cm
Weight
26.3–46 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Northern Scrub Robin?

The Northern Scrub Robin is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Northern Scrub Robin eat?

The Northern Scrub Robin feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Northern Scrub Robin live in Australia?

The Northern Scrub Robin is endemic to Australia, recorded across 7 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNorth-east Cape York Pen. (far north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Non-breeding
  • Resident
  • Vagrant

5 regions recorded