ROCKIN’ ROBINS
Learn some fascinating facts about these beautiful birds
Why do robins sing? What do robins eat?
its red plumage and sparkling song, the robin is a festive icon. Adrian Thomas of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) tells us all about this colourful little bird.
Why does a robin have a red breast?
The bold colour plays an important role in helping the birds to defend their territory and males will show it off to keep away intruders.
But while adult male and female robins look almost identical, young robins don’t have an orange breast.
When they’re born, a robin’s breast is spotted with golden brown. It only turns orange after their first moult, when they get their grown-up feathers.
Robins sing pretty much all year round and are often the main bird you can hear throughout the winter.
Males use their voices to get the attention of females but also sing to warn off intruders. What they’re saying is “stay away, this is my patch!”.
If that doesn’t work, they can become very aggressive with each other and will fight to protect their patch, using their beak, wings and feet.
Robins are omnivorous, which means they eat many things, from fruit to spiders.
If you’re putting food out for robins, protein-packed mealworms are likely to be a big hit. It’s important to clean feeders regularly. Leave out fresh water too, so birds have something to drink, and can have a bath and keep their feathers in good condition.
Where do robins live?
Robins live in places where there are trees and shrubs, especially where there is cool shade and bare ground beneath. They nest in a hollow, which can be in a wall, a tree, or an openfronted nestbox and sometimes they’ll set up home in very unlikely places. They’ve been known to nest in potato sacks, coat pockets, golf bags and even old kettles. Typically, robins are shy when nesting so choose wellhidden places out of sight.
How do robins keep warm in winter?
Robins will puff out their feathers to help keep warm in winter, but like all birds they need high-energy, high-fat foods to help them survive the cold months.
Are robins endangered?
Robins are still a common species in the UK and are not endangered. However, nature is in crisis and more than a quarter of UK bird species are at the highest level of conservation concern – the ones we’re most worried about. It’s why we all need to play a part in protecting nature and helping it to recover.
■ Find out how to keep birds well fed and healthy at tinyurl.com/ywcrzh7p