Robin Factfile
Latin name
Distribution
The Robin occurs right across the UK as a breeding species other than the Shetland Isles, though even here they do occur as a winter migrant from northern mainland Europe.
Habitat
Robins can be encountered in all sorts of habitats, with the only real common factor needing to be a degree of cover. So gardens, parks, church and graveyards, all types of woodland, edges of commercial forestry, field edges with hedgerows, and even areas heavily planted with ornamental shrubs around retail parks, motorway service stations and car parks etc.
UK Population
There are around 7.4 million breeding pairs of Robin in the UK. Further Robins arrive from northern mainland Europe for the winter months, though some UK birds – mainly females – migrate south to countries including Spain and Portugal.
The Robin is the most familiar and most loved of all our garden birds. Indeed, even people not especially interested in birds will still talk about ‘their’ Robin in their garden. Actually though, it’s the predictable, tame and trusting nature of Robins which fools people into thinking it’s the same bird they see year-after-year, when in fact it’s almost certainly a different individual – Robins have an average lifespan of only around on year, and about one in four never even reach the age of one. Both male and female adult Robins have the same distinct red breast (and it’s a myth that the male Robin’s breast is brighter than the female’s) and can’t be confused with any other UK bird, though juvenile Robins have a speckled brown breast. Male and female Robins are very difficult to visually tell apart, though there is a subtle difference in head shape, with the female’s being slightly pointed versus the more rounder curve of the male.
Both male and female Robins sing and with equal strength – which is unusual in songbirds as normally it’s the male with the much stronger and more frequent song. Robins also sing throughout the year (other than in the late summer moulting season), with the reason for this being that individual birds also hold territories outside of the breeding season – and including females. However, the Robin’s song in the autumn and winter is slightly different to that of the spring and summer, and is a softer and more liquid rendition.
Interestingly, the tame behaviour we see in Robins in our gardens in the UK is very different to mainland Europe, where they’re a relatively shy and secretive species of the forest.
Video footage of Robins
Robin nesting and breeding habits
The Robin’s nest is nearly always built in some sort of crevice, hole, or tucked behind something. So in walls, dead trees, banks, piles of logs, in climbing plants against a wall or fence, an old boot or plant pot in an open shed etc. Open-fronted nest boxes will be used but only if they’re well hidden – e.g. in a climbing wall plant. The nest of the Robin is usually close to the ground or even on it. The female Robin takes care of the nest building, which is a neat cup made up of dead grass, leaves and moss, then lined with hair. Robins have two, sometimes three, broods per season, with 4-6 eggs in the clutch which the female alone incubates. The male Robin provides much of the female’s food during nest building, egg laying and the incubation period. Baby Robins will usually leave the nest as fledglings at about 13 days old, and will continue to be fed by their parents for up to three weeks – though the dependency becomes progressively less during this time.
Robins are one of the earliest of songbirds to nest and breed in the UK, and will even start the process of finding a nest sight in January if the weather is mild enough. However, March is more typical for the start of the Robin’s breeding season, with the first clutch of eggs generally laid by mid-April, and the last by early August.
Robin history and population trends
The Robin population in the UK has increased considerably since the mid-1980s, though there was a decline around 2009-2010. However, there has since been a recovery and, overall, the population is strong and is therefore listed as green status. Less very harsh winters are probably a key factor in the increased population of Robins in the UK.
Behaviour traits of Robins
The Robin’s territorial instincts are the most notable aspect of the species’ behaviour: Firstly, resident birds will hold their territories for all of the year (very rare for any species of bird), with the mated pair defending their territory in the breeding season (an area usually about 0.55 of a hectare), then male and female birds defending smaller and separate territories in the autumn and early and mid-winter months. This strong territorial behaviour is the reason why male and female Robins will sing outside of the breeding season (albeit the song outside the breeding season is different and not as strong), whereas most other species of songbird don’t because they have no reason to.
Also of note is the way that a Robin will often appear close to you when you start a gardening job such as digging or clearing up leaves, and will then follow you around the garden as you work – which they do because your activity is uncovering food such as worms and other invertebrates. This behaviour reflects how the Robin has adapted differently in the UK to get value from human habitation, whereas in mainland Europe, Robins are typically shy and secretive birds of woodland and forest only.
Robin diet and food
Small worms, insects, insect larvae and spiders make up much of the diet of the Robin, plus also seeds, soft fruit and berries in the winter months. In the garden, our suggested foods for Robins include: Sunflower Heart Chips, Chopped Peanuts, Robin and Friends Seed Mix, plus Live Mealworms – especially in the breeding season as adult birds will feed them to their young.
What should I feed Robins?
We recommend the following products to attract Robins to your garden.
Bird Food
Frequently Asked Questions
What colour is a female Robin?
The female Robin is the same colour as a male Robin – the two are almost impossible to tell apart, and certainly can't be by colour alone.
Does a Robin mate for life?
Generally, no, Robins do not mate for life, though a pair will typically stay together during the same breeding season and have up to three broods. It’s also worth noting that Robins typically have a very short lifespan, with few individuals surviving to anyway breed in a second year.
How long do Robins live UK?
The average lifespan of a Robin in the UK is just 13 months, though some individual Robins may live much longer than that – the oldest known being 11 years and five months. For that average figure to be achieved, only around 40% of Robins which fledge make it past one year.
How long does a Robin stay with her babies?
Fledgling Robins stay with their parents for around three weeks after leaving the nest.
Do Robins stay in your garden all year round?
Robins do keep a territory going even outside the breeding season, so yes they will often stay in and around a garden all year. However, it usually won’t be the same individual bird or birds because the lifespan of the Robin is so short (average is just 13 months).
Where do Robins sleep at night?
In gardens, Robins will typically seek out a sheltered spot in a shrub to spend the night, with a study carried out by the University of Gloucester showing an interesting preference for Laurel - which might be because of the relatively dense foliage and large evergreen leaves which will provide a good deal of shelter from the elements. The same study also found that Robins prefer to sleep no higher than 4 metres from the ground.
Do female Robins have red breasts?
Yes, a female Robin has a red breast the same as a male.