Chatham Robin

There are now around 250 black robins but in 1980 only five survived on Little Mangere Island. They were saved from extinction by Don Merton and his Wildlife Service team, and by Old Blue, the last remaining fertile female. The remaining birds were moved to Mangere Island. They increased the annual output of Old Blue by removing the first clutch over every year and placing the eggs in the nest of the Chatham race of the Tomtit, a technique known as cross-fostering. The Tomtits raised the first brood, and the Black Robins, having lost their eggs, relaid and raised another brood.

The Chatham Robin is classified as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Alternative names: Chatham Robin; Black Robin Petroica traversi Contents - * 1 Identification * 2 Distribution * 3 Taxonomy * 4 Habitat * 5 Behaviour * 6 References * 7 External Links Identification - 14-15 cm. More

endangered species, the Chatham robin is a conservation success story. Before 1980, only five black robins survived including a single fertile female. There are now nearly 200 individuals. This wild bird was on South East Island (Rangatira), Chatham Islands. More