The Robin, according to the RSPCA is the UK’s favourite garden bird, and quite frankly, it’s not hard to see why. With its bright red breast available for us to see all year round and not just for Christmas, it’s a bird with character, a bird that seems to follow you if you are taking the dog for a walk or digging in your garden. They are very sociable little birds, and can become quite tame. They are companions on your bird nuts and are friendly to have a chat with, seeming to listen as they cock their heads this way and that. Nothing seems to scare them sometimes and unless they get fed up of you, they can stay with you for ages until they suddenly take off without warning and no doubt find somebody else to watch.
The males and females look identical, a fact that not everybody realises. The baby birds have no redbreast and have a spotted golden brown plumage. Robins sing nearly all year round and once heard their voices are so recognisable. They are even known to sing at night underneath the street lights, and if roosting robins are disturbed, they can burst into song, even in complete darkness. In late summer they seem to go quiet for a short period, usually because they are moulting and inconspicuous to other Robins. They go a little shy and both male and females hush up for a while.
Despite their very cute appearance and Christmas card beauty, getting us feeling warm and cosy inside is their speciality, but they are actually extremely aggressive little birds, very territorial and are quick to drive away intruders, of the feathered variety of course.
Robins are available to see not just in the Peak District but across the whole of the UK, usually in woodland, hedgerows, parks, but more commonly you could be sat looking out of your window and you’ll have one in your garden or not too far away. They like to eat worms, seeds, fruits and insects but in winter months they do struggle like all garden birds and special Robin food is available for them containing a high-protein diet.
They are one of the few birds in the UK which sing all year round, and this is due to the importance of holding on to their territories for winter. Like the Nightingale, the song of the robin is delivered from a concealed perch within a bush or a tree. The songs differ between autumn and spring, the former song starting after the summer moult. From late summer onwards it is a much more subdued and melancholy tone which is fitting for the end of summer, but the spring song is wonderful, so upbeat, cheerful and powerful.
The spring song is far more powerful in males and can start mid December onwards, reaching full force in spring. The purpose of the singing is twofold: to defend territory, but also to attract a mate. If you get to hear the dawn chorus in spring, the Robin is unmistakably the loudest and usually one of the earliest birds to start it seems. They are also one of the last birds to stop singing in the evening. Robins are one of the few birds who are also often active in half-light, because they have adapted to life in this country so well.
The sole purpose of a Robin’s redbreast is in defence of its territory, and is not used in courtship as is often thought, mainly because both male and female are the same colour. A patch of red triggers territorial behaviour and Robins are known to persistently attack stuffed Robins or imitation. There have been cases where Robins have attacked tufts of red feathers or fabric.
The territories are held all year round and in Summer the territory is defended by both male and female, while each bird go their own separate ways and look after their own winter territories separately. They have been known to fight each other.
The Robin will forever be associated with Christmas, but did you know the reason why? ‘The legend of the Robin’ is a lovely little story and holds a tremendous importance to some at Christmastime. A robin was thought to have shared the stable of Bethlehem, when the other animals chose not to respond to Mary’s constant appeals for company. It is believed by some that it used its soft and strong breast feathers to reignite a fire so that baby Jesus could stay warm. When he got too close to the fire, the Robin burnt his breast feathers. The red breasts of Robins are associated to the selfless service they provided back then and these colourful birds are regarded as the traditional symbol of the United Kingdom. This is why they are found on greeting cards and wrapping paper.
Some of us also get the odd feeling that a robin is the reincarnation of their loved ones, another legend attached to this beautiful little bird. Whatever it is true; Robins certainly bring companionship to some and delight to others. We should never take them for granted, but take time out to listen to their song, watch them for a change and maybe give them some companionship back.