Hi Folks,
Last week I observed a Pale-yellow Robin pouncing onto the ground and grab a Northern Dwarf Tree Frog/Litoria bicolor/. The robin proceeded to smash the frog onto a log before it swallowed it. The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds lists the diet of Pale-yellow Robin as Arthropods; mainly insects; sometimes seeds. I have so far not found any reference to them eating vertebrates such as tree frogs. Anyone else observed this behaviour? We thought that the long dry spell we have been having may have caused the robin to switch diets as there has been virtually no insects available to them. This situation has now changed over the last few days with a few rain showers triggering the emergence of insects.
Cheers, Keith & Lindsay.