Rose Robins mainly inhabit rain forest but also occur in wet mountain and coastal forests of south-eastern Australia from SE Qld around to SW Victoria. When breeding, they occur in pairs in established territories which are maintained year after year, but in the non-breeding season, they wander further afield and into more open places, even into suburban gardens in some areas. In winter, most Rose Robins move to warmer regions either to the coast, or further north, even reaching central coastal Queensland, or further west to the Mt Lofty Range in S.A.

Rose Robins spend much of their time feeding high amongst the tree canopies and rarely come close to the ground. Up there they flit to and fro in flycatcher fashion, catching much of their small insect prey on the wing. Their nests are usually quite high up as well. The female does much of the nest building and all of the incubation, when the male visits her at the nest with food - he also helps to feed the nestlings. Extra helpers at the nest, so common with other Australian robins, are not known, possibly because of the difficulty of monitoring nests built so high off the ground.