Robin

Robin

 Robin redbreast of Christmas fame,

Did you burn your feathers on a flame?

Or pluck a splinter from a dying man?

Whichever it was I am still a fan.

I love your singing from morning to night,

Although you do stop to shout and fight.

Tiny but feisty you protect your own,

Mates, babies, and your territorial home.

You hop and skip along the ground,

Flying off with whatever mouthful you found.

Oak king of summer woodland fame

I’m glad it’s to my garden you came.

The robin (Erithacus rubecula) was the obvious choice for me to research for the end of December as it is a bird we relate to Christmas. 

The relationship between the robin and Christmas is thought to have begun in the 1840’s in the UK when the Penny Post was created, and someone had the idea of promoting the service through greetings cards. Victorian postmen wore a red tunic and were called robin redbreasts. It wasn’t long before an illustrator drew the first robin on a card. We still use robins on Christmas cards, often on a red post-box or with a letter in their beak. 

I love how traditions started and how many survive. 

They are an easy bird to identify due to their bright red breast feathers, welcome colour on dull winter days. These red breasts are displayed when territory is in dispute. The males puff up their chest and fly to a high perch to show all around that they are the brightest robin in the garden. If this doesn’t work, they fight. Which is why baby robins do not have red breasts until after their first moult. 

They are loyal to their territory and the robins who migrate return to the same winter and summer territories even when they are hundreds of kilometres apart. 

The Robin is related to the Wren from last month’s bird blog (look at the tail of the next robin you see) but is larger and isn’t as loud when it sings. The European Robin weighs in at 15 – 20 grams with an overall length of 15-20 cm and a wingspan of 20-22 cm. 

(Talking of Wingspan, there is a great board game with this name, beautifully made and fun to play. I was given it for my birthday and have played it alone and with others. I recommend it if you like games.)

There are myths about how the Robin got its red breast –

A robin fanned the flames in the stable where Jesus was born to keep the baby warm, the flames turned its feathers red. This could be another reason for the Christmas connection. 

A robin plucked a splinter from Christ’s body trying to help him, but the splinter caught in its chest and blood turned the feathers red.

In Wales the robin is called ‘brou-rhuddyn’ or ‘scorched breast’ as it was believed the robin scorched its feathers when taking drops of water to tormented souls in purgatory.  

All these myths show the robin as a kindly bird, helping others despite pain to themselves.

There are other stories too where this tiny bird is seen as a symbol of good luck, happiness, and rebirth. They are portrayed as messengers between the living and the dead -‘When Robins appear, loved ones are near.’ I’ve not heard this phrase but apparently it is well known. So just in case this is true, I will be sure to listen to the robin next time, in case he has a message for me. 

Norse mythology tales show the robin as a protector from storms and lightening, maybe that’s how it got its red breast. 

In Celtic folklore it is known as the symbol for the Oak King of Summer. And there is Robin Hood, the man who stole from the rich to give to the poor. 

Native Indians believe that robins as a spirt guide are angels and follow them in their spirit walks. They have a story about a Lenape woman who lived with a man who was not good for her. She couldn’t end the relationship. A robin tried to enter her house to deliver a message, but she ignored it. The robin finally nested on her porch with its mate, it was a poor choice of nesting site and they died. Then the woman understood the symbolism and left the man. She paid more attention to her spirit guides after this. A sad story but again it shows the robin trying to help another. 

In Italy, it is believed that killing a robin can cause a person to suffer from epilepsy but seeing two robins fight indicates that you are in for a surprise.

In Germany, they believe that if a robin nests under your eaves, the house will be protected from fire. However, some others believe it is a bad omen.

In Ireland it is believed that killing a robin will cause a large lump to grow on your hands, which will prevent you from working.

We are strange creatures, us humans, using animals as symbols for happenings in our lives. But stories have always been used to try and understand the world around us, and they still are. I like stories. 

We think of the robin as cute, especially when it fluffs out its feathers in the cold. However, as the photos below shows they are highly territorial and will fight to the death to defend their garden. This territorial dispute caught on my nature camera was quite revealing. What a fierce look on his face, poor sparrow. 

This fierceness is one of the reasons why the average lifespan of a robin is only thirteen months, although one robin has been recorded as living for thirteen years. 

The robin is quite a tame bird, especially in the UK, and will stay close to a gardener and even eat from a hand. They will find a perch to watch us from and sing to charm the gardener into digging longer and deeper. This is a problem in our no-dig garden, but our robins find plenty to eat in the barked areas in the summer, and from the bird feeders in the winter.

We like to think the robin in our garden trusts us, wants to be our friend, but in truth, it’s because gardeners disturb the soil and robins are ground feeders who like worms. We are not a threat to them and when we are around other predators stay away.

I see this as a mutual benefit arrangement, the robin has food to eat in a safe place and the gardener has the pleasure of being close to a wild bird and being sung to.

They were woodland birds before gardens became the norm across the landscape, following animals such as boars or badgers, who dig and turn the soil, and I have seen a robin following a blackbird in our garden. The blackbird flings the larger pieces of bark around to find grubs and worms below, the robin takes advantage of this and sneaks a few for himself.

A clever little bird.

They eat a wide variety of food including worms, seeds, nuts, invertebrates, and fruit. I have watched a robin waiting under bird feeders and when other birds knock small pieces of fat balls to the ground the robin feasts on the morsels. We are quite sure we provide enough food in our edible forest garden for our robins.

Robins are prolific breeders, probably because of their short lives, and the loss of life in harsh winters. They can breed from January in the UK but normally start in March. They produce three to five broods a year, each of four or five eggs. These broods may overlap, with the male of one clutch still feeding chicks while the female is sitting on fresh eggs.

Chicks hatch after fifteen days and fly about two weeks later.

Nests are made everywhere usually about 2m off the ground where there is a hollow sheltered by vegetation such as holly, but they will build on the ground too, and in welly boots, teapots, a rusting car, bucket, pot… and there is a story of a robin nesting in an unmade bed! The owner left the nest undisturbed until the chicks flew. What a kind person. I wonder where they slept for those few weeks.

The robin is one of the first birds to start the dawn chorus and it will sing at night too near artificial lights and can be confused with a nightingale. It sings most of the year to defend its territory and attract a mate.

It has quite a repertoire and the autumn song is melancholy compared to its spring version.

The song consists of a series of long, drawn-out notes which descend in pitch, with verses containing faster, squeakier notes and a little tremble. The verses vary in loudness and are never repeated.

It also has two calls.

A dry ‘tic’ sound, sometimes repeated, especially when waking or about to roost. This call is protracted when the robin is agitated by a ground predator.

An alarm call, which is more like a ‘tseee’ sound and is used in response to an aerial predator. This sound is hard to locate which keeps the bird safe from birds in the sky hoping for a quick snack. The alarm call is understood by other birds too, and maybe this is where the myths and stories of the robin helping other creatures came from.

 

To ensure robins choose your garden for their territory you can provide-

Ground feeding trays, bird tables, fat balls – all great for the winter but do remember to pick up ground trays in the evening and clean tables, feeders, and trays frequently. We provide enough of these although I don’t do the ground trays as I know I’d forget them.

Ivy and hedges – this we are working on.

Cracks and crevasses created with piles of rocks or holes in walls – we have holes in our house walls, but I don’t think any robins nest in them.

Hang up old teapots, jugs etc – I am doing this, but I’m not sure they are high enough.

 

I will be more observant this spring and try and locate their home, although I’m not sure they live in our garden. I don’t want to create too many nesting sites or there will be battles in our garden rather than harmony.

I do enjoy seeing the robins, and maybe I’ll be able to identify their call this spring.