European Robin
The Robin is a year round resident in the UK, but a small minority of female Robins migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Both the male and female feature similar plumage, both with the distinctive red breast. The male bird is extremely territorial and will aggressively defend his territory, attacking any similar sized birds that try to muscle in on their patch.
The adult European robin is 12cm long and weighs between 15 to 22 g with a wingspan of 20–22 cm . The male and female bear similar plumage; an orange breast and face lined by a bluish grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly whitish, while the legs and feet are brown. The bill and eyes are black.
Juveniles are a spotted brown and white in colouration, with patches of orange gradually appearing. Male robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behaviour. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and have been observed attacking other small birds without apparent provocation. There are instances of robins attacking their own reflection. Territorial disputes sometimes lead to fatalities, accounting for up to 10% of adult robin deaths in some areas
The Robin is a member of the thrush family , a distant relative of the Blackbird and Nightingale.
In the 1960s, in a vote publicised by The Times, the robin was adopted as the unofficial national bird of the UK. The bird also is associated with several British sporting clubs including the professional football clubs Bristol City, Crewe Alexandra, Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town and Wrexham FC, as well as the English rugby league team Hull Kingston Rovers.
Robins may choose a wide variety of sites for building a nest. They will make use of anything that can offer some shelter, this can include some unlikely locations including garden sheds , old discarded kettles , hanging baskets and farm machinery.
The cup shaped nest is composed of moss, leaves and grass, with fine grass, hair and feathers for lining is built by the female bird . If you want to help your local Robin population to providing a nesting box to attract Robins to nest in your garden it needs to be open fronted and concealed in vegetation.
Legend has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the robin’s breast, and thereafter all robins got the mark of Christ’s blood upon them.
Courtship feeding is a very prominent activity, and the male can supply more than a third of his mate’s food intake during nest building and egg laying. This extra food is important and can make a difference to the clutch size, particularly since a complete clutch represents about 90 per cent of the females total body weight. The birds are very sensitive to any disturbance during the nest building and egg laying, and will easily desert the nest if they think that the nest has been discovered. Unless the birds are used to people, it is best to stay clear of the immediate vicinity of the nest until the incubation starts.
Because of high mortality in the first year of life, a robin has an average life expectancy of just one year, if the Robin survives past the first year it can expect to live longer Up to a maximum of six years. The cause of the high mortality rate are many and varied. Only around 40 per cent of fledged birds will survive from one year to the next. High levels of mortality are compensated for by high productivity and the robin population has increased by 45 per cent since 1970. Severe winter weather can have severe impacts on robins.
European Robin
The Robin is a year round resident in the UK, but a small minority of female Robins migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Both the male and female feature similar plumage, both with the distinctive red breast. The male bird is extremely territorial and will aggressively defend his territory, attacking any similar sized birds that try to muscle in on their patch.
The adult European robin is 12cm long and weighs between 15 to 22 g with a wingspan of 20–22 cm . The male and female bear similar plumage; an orange breast and face lined by a bluish grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly whitish, while the legs and feet are brown. The bill and eyes are black.
Juveniles are a spotted brown and white in colouration, with patches of orange gradually appearing. Male robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behaviour. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and have been observed attacking other small birds without apparent provocation. There are instances of robins attacking their own reflection. Territorial disputes sometimes lead to fatalities, accounting for up to 10% of adult robin deaths in some areas
The Robin is a member of the thrush family , a distant relative of the Blackbird and Nightingale.
In the 1960s, in a vote publicised by The Times, the robin was adopted as the unofficial national bird of the UK. The bird also is associated with several British sporting clubs including the professional football clubs Bristol City, Crewe Alexandra, Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town and Wrexham FC, as well as the English rugby league team Hull Kingston Rovers.
Robins may choose a wide variety of sites for building a nest. They will make use of anything that can offer some shelter, this can include some unlikely locations including garden sheds , old discarded kettles , hanging baskets and farm machinery.
The cup shaped nest is composed of moss, leaves and grass, with fine grass, hair and feathers for lining is built by the female bird . If you want to help your local Robin population to providing a nesting box to attract Robins to nest in your garden it needs to be open fronted and concealed in vegetation.
Legend has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the robin’s breast, and thereafter all robins got the mark of Christ’s blood upon them.
Courtship feeding is a very prominent activity, and the male can supply more than a third of his mate’s food intake during nest building and egg laying. This extra food is important and can make a difference to the clutch size, particularly since a complete clutch represents about 90 per cent of the females total body weight. The birds are very sensitive to any disturbance during the nest building and egg laying, and will easily desert the nest if they think that the nest has been discovered. Unless the birds are used to people, it is best to stay clear of the immediate vicinity of the nest until the incubation starts.
Because of high mortality in the first year of life, a robin has an average life expectancy of just one year, if the Robin survives past the first year it can expect to live longer Up to a maximum of six years. The cause of the high mortality rate are many and varied. Only around 40 per cent of fledged birds will survive from one year to the next. High levels of mortality are compensated for by high productivity and the robin population has increased by 45 per cent since 1970. Severe winter weather can have severe impacts on robins.