The deep, dark eyes of the South Island robin (Petroica australis) seem to drink in everything around them. They’re such curious things, always wanting to know what you’re doing in the bush. In summer time, during the breeding season, male and female work cooperatively in looking after the eggs and offspring. The male brings the female food while she’s on the nest, and once the eggs hatch, the male and female take turns feeding the chicks. Once the chicks leave the nest, both parents take responsibility for feeding them for another few weeks, until they’re able to forage for themselves. Despite this cooperation in taking care of the chicks, male and female actively compete for food year round. A male will be aggressive in keeping a female (his mate!) away from food sources, but will bring her food while she’s nesting. Robins cache food, and male and female will steal from each other’s caches. Maybe this curiosity us humans find so endearing is nothing more than deep suspicion, the robin saying, “You’re not here to steal my food are you?”
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