AUTUMNGUIDE

ROBINS IN WINTER
Britain’s National Bird is also one tough customer, seeing out the harshest winters and still
appearing perky and friendly. Here are one or two things you may not know about Robins
Using exaggerated
poses, two Robins
square up to settle a
territorial dispute
David Tipling Photo Library / Alamy*
Think of the commonest birds
we regard as ‘garden birds’.
Your little mental list will
surely include such familiar
birds as Blackbird, House
Sparrow, Starling, Blue Tit, Goldfinch,
Collared Dove, Magpie, Dunnock and
Woodpigeon, plus of course, surely you
had a little room in your list for the
Robin. These birds all share certain
characteristics, such as they are all
tolerant of people, all suited to our
pseudo-woodland glade human habitats
and are all more or less resident birds,
found throughout the year and able to
tolerate and survive our winters.
In snowy winters, the
food and water our
gardens provide can
mean survival for Robins
But, each also has fascinating life
histories and stories all to itself; none
more so than the Robin.
Back in 2015, in the vote launched by
Urban Birder David Lindo, the Robin
topped the poll to be Britain’s National
Bird. With more than a third of the vote,
it trounced the likes of Barn Owl,
Blackbird, Wren, Blue Tit, Puffin, Red
Kite and Kingfisher. Not that it needed
the boost, as Robins have already
cornered the Christmas card market and
are deeply ingrained in the national
psyche as the winter bird.
But they are odd in many ways as
wintering birds. Most of our thin-billed,
insectivorous species head south when
the going gets cold, in search of easier
pickings. Think warblers, flycatchers and
most other chats, and you are probably
thinking of essentially summer visitors.
Robins, though, are here through the
winter. Or, rather, some of them are. Most
males and a decent chunk of the females
remain for the colder months, but
millions of female Robins also migrate to
the warmer southern parts of the
continent for the winter.
Those that remain like to let everyone
know that they are tough guys, however,
being one of the few birds which sing a
territorial song throughout the winter. In
fact, it is only during the vulnerable
phase of the late summer primary wing
feather moult that Robins keep quiet for a
bit. After the regrowth of these wing
feathers they come out singing a subtly
different autumn and winter song,
proclaiming dominion over their patch,
which is often in our gardens.
One highly unusual thing about Robins
is that both males and females will sing a
true song at this time of year to claim
their territory, which they keep as a
single bird (and some males will even
defend two territories for more than a
month). Many people, often non-birders,
claim that ‘their Robin’ has returned once
again to take up a garden territory. And,
for once, they are right! Most Robins
(especially males) do indeed stake out
the same wintering territory throughout
their lives (which are perhaps shorter
than people realise, at only a few years).
Robins are notorious for their
fastidious defence of their wintering
4 Get To Know Garden Birds 2018