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Photo: Nicole Burgum
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UK
Safari Tip:
Get help identifying birds with the superbly illustrated "Top 50
Garden Birds" identification chart - click
here
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Latin name: Erithacus rubecula
Size: Grow to around 14cms in length.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK
Months seen: All year round
Habitat: Parks, gardens and woodlands.
Food: Insects, seeds and berries.
Special features: In towns and cities the robin has become known as the gardeners friend. This is because it is quite tame, and will closely follow gardeners as they dig the soil and turn over worms and grubs which the robin will eat.
The robin's striking red breast plumage is most noticeable in the winter months. For this reason they are frequently associated with Christmas, and robins are often depicted on Christmas cards.
Adult robins start to pair up from late December until March. Although the male sits in a tree singing for a partner, initially it is the female who does all the chasing. Once the female is accepted by a male, he brings her food as part of their courtship ritual.
The males and females look so similar it's difficult to tell them apart. Even
the robins themselves have trouble. The only way for a female to be accepted by
a male is to keep landing in the males territory until he realises what she
wants. Adult
males are fiercely defensive of their territory, and will attack other males that try to
encroach, so the females have to take their chances.
The nests are usually built in a hole, either in a tree, a bank or a wall. Sometimes they will also nest in garden sheds, if they can find an easy way in and out.
The female robin lays between three and seven eggs. They are white with flecks of red. She incubates them for two weeks until they hatch. The young stay on the nest for a further two weeks, and during this time the male helps the female to feed the family.
 Young robins have brown speckled plumage. They moult into their adult plumage in their first autumn.
Did You Know?
Robins can live for up to 10 years, but only around 25% survive beyond their first birthday.
Short video clip of a robin in winter fluffing out its feathers to keep warm (1.2MB)
American Robin Page
UK Safari Bird Section
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