Whether in summer as a breeding guest in garden hedges or during the cold season as a lively visitor to the feeding ground – robins can be found in almost every home garden. Although they are only 14cm in size and weigh around 22g, the birds, belonging to the thrush family, stand out; they are easily recognizable by their striking orange feather coloring on the front chest, throat and forehead. In order to ensure the preservation of the popular birds, every gardener can make a contribution, for example by providing nesting sites. Targeted feeding during the cold season also helps the robin to survive the winter better. Optimally fed, the birds reach an average age of five years, during which time they enrich the local park with their songs.
Table of Contents
ideal living space
The robin is primarily at home in Iceland and throughout Europe, with the northern and eastern areas of Europe only offering the birds an adequate habitat during the summer months. This also applies to some areas within Germany: During the cold season, the migratory birds then leave their homeland and move to areas with more favorable climatic conditions, towards southern Europe. The wintering areas then extend to the northern borders of the Sahara. In certain regions of Germany, where a mild climate prevails in winter, hibernation is possible without any problems. Robins can also be observed in these areas, which, as migratory birds from north-eastern Europe, use the milder winter in Germany to spend the winter.
Shady areas are the best habitat for the robin, so that in addition to coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests, parks, cemeteries and copses are also used as habitats. In domestic gardens, different bushes and extensive hedges, but sometimes also trees with ivy growth, offer ideal living areas and nesting sites. The denser the vegetation there, the more frequently robins seek out these areas. In order to offer the birds an adequate habitat in winter, it has proven useful to leave small piles of leaves and undergrowth constructions within the green area where the animals can find food.
General lifestyle habits
One of the classic habits of the robin is the characteristic sounds the bird emits. These come in different dimensions:
- Voice: sharp, short noise (“tik”)
- Singing: series of tones with trill calls
- Lure call: metallic sounding noise (“schnickerick”)
With regard to the sounds that the robin emits, there are sometimes blatant differences compared to other birds. The special features include the duration and intensity of the birdsong, which usually begins an hour before sunrise. After sunset, most of the other birds have already finished singing, while the robin can still be heard for an hour or two. Another difference is the observation that female robins also communicate by singing, but less frequently than male birds and then with a considerably reduced variety of verses. Basically, the singing can be heard mainly in the months of March to April and is then used primarily to mark out the territory.
In addition to the fondness for singing, bathing is also one of the peculiarities of the bird, which takes place every day. During the early morning hours, the bird flaps its wings to wash its feathers on leaves that are wet with rain or dew. If the bathing ritual takes place in the evening, robins mainly use shallow areas on the bank or bird baths. In the home garden, small ponds, ornamental fountains or artificial streams also provide ideal bathing opportunities. However, accidents can happen while swimming, especially during the winter months. It has therefore proven useful to check the pond system more frequently. In addition to preening with water, robins also use ants as a tried and tested means of driving away parasites. The insects are carefully taken into the beak; the formic acid,
Reproduction – courtship and brooding
After the female robin has left her own territory in winter, the bird invades foreign territories that the male robin controls. In order to reduce the aggression of the territory owner, the female bird presents an infantile attitude in which she adopts a begging attitude. A strong tremor of the tail and wings can be observed. If the approach is successful, the area is then defended together. The courtship, which takes place between April and July, is also initiated by female robins. The female emits a sharp sound accompanied by wing tremors and a general crouching posture with the tail cocked sideways.
Between five and seven eggs are produced per litter, which are yellowish in color and have brown spots. The incubation period is 14 days; during this time the male robin provides the female with sufficient food. Once the offspring have hatched, they remain in the nest for a further 14 days before following the bird parents into the wild.
Nest building and nest boxes
The nest, which is used for reproduction purposes, is built by the female robin on her own within four to five days. Preferred nesting sites include the following areas:
- soil depressions
- roots that are on the ground
- sheltered spots under scrub
- on embankments (halfway up)
- in high tree stumps, occasionally also in wall holes
To build the nest, the female robin needs enough dry leaves, moss, fine roots, stalks and stalks, from which she builds a nest-like basic structure, which she then pads with vegetable wool, animal hair and feathers. The finished nest then has a diameter of 13cm and a height of almost five centimeters. Occasionally, the female robin occupies abandoned nests abandoned by wood warblers, yellowhammers, or blackbirds.
Committed hobby gardeners can support the reproduction of the robin with the help of special nesting sites. Since the birds are niche breeders, you should preferably select appropriate models. Special niche breeding boxes, which have an entry hole for the bird parents at the front and rear, offer a lot of protection against nest robbers. In addition, you can also use boxes with a special protruding porch that can be hung freely, have an additional brood chamber insert and entry openings.
The nest boxes should be installed at a height of around two to three meters, with the opening ideally facing away from the house. Then the construction is harder for martens and cats to reach. An area under the eaves that is in partial shade is best. The nest box should also be cleaned between the end of September and October. As an alternative to the finished constructions, brushwood heaps in the home garden are also accepted as nesting sites; in this way a natural nesting aid can be created in the garden.
Natural enemies
The most important natural enemies of the robin include cats, weasels and martens, but also squirrels, sparrowhawks, hawks and magpies. In particular, young animals that have just fledged are often at the mercy of predators without protection. Garden owners who keep an outdoor cat should take care to keep track of their movements in their own garden; Cats like to lie in wait in the bushes; robins rarely manage to escape through dense branches. If there is also a small pond in the garden where the birds clean their feathers, the cat should be completely forbidden from foraging in the early morning hours as well as in the evening twilight; cats often lie in wait near the water to catch the approaching birds.
Diet of the robin
Robins feed on small spiders, earthworms, insects, snails, larvae and beetles. In addition, berries and soft seeds also serve as food. During the breeding season, however, the food consumed comes almost exclusively from animal components, while the vegetable supplement is mainly used in autumn, winter and late summer.
Gardeners can support the robin’s search for food, especially during the cold season. Small piles of leaves and undergrowth, which is left in the local green area before the onset of winter, offer first aid. There the birds can find numerous insects and larvae during the cold season. Robins are also increasingly involved in feeding at the bird house. The birds prefer fatty foods to seeds. When providing an optimal supply of food, it should be noted that robins belong to the group of soft food eaters; Raisins, bran, poppy seeds and oatmeal should therefore be on the winter menu. The classic fat balls are also easy to make and, when placed in creative containers, offer a decorative element in the winter garden.
- beef or mutton tallow (unsalted)
- cooking oil
- Mix of rolled oats, wheat bran and berries
For the preparation, the mutton tallow is heated, but not above the melting point. Adding cooking oil in a ratio of 1:5 has proven effective so that the fat does not become too hard afterwards. Then the feed mix is worked in at a ratio of 1:1. The mixture, which gradually cools, is then either formed into fat balls or poured into flowerpots. Coconut shells filled with mixed feed are particularly decorative. Branches should also be attached to the finished feeding places to give the birds a chance to cling.