The Robins are one of the most popular and favourite birds in the UK. In a recent survey it is seen that with 224,000 ballots cast or 34% of the voting, the Robins have won the National Bird Vote.
Though, robins see very friendly birds. Still, they are defensive of their territory. They are also one of few bird species that gold their territory all year round. Even the male birds also do not migrate in winter.
The Robin birds also have a high mortality rate. Most of them die in the first year after their birth. As they are territorial, sometimes flights may also lead them to death.
Starving is also another reason for Robin Bird’s death. In winter, it gets quite difficult for them to search for woods. Apart from that, for this time the mealworms and other insects get hidden.
Though, the Robins are not declined species. As there are more than 4.2m of Robins in the UK. If you want to know more about this, then read the article till it ends.
A bit About The Robin Birds
The Robin birds are popular for their turf, Christmassy singing. The Robins are generally very territorial birds. Most of the deaths of Robin birds happen due to territorial flight.
Sometimes natural disasters or extremely cold weather can be responsible for the Robin bird’s death. So, is territorial flight or anything the main reason for their species being in danger?
Amazingly, there are enough and pretty populations of Robin birds in the UK. These birds are widespread and there are more than 4.2m breeding pairs of Robin Birds.
But these species are not considered to be in the declined state. While the other birds of the UK have a good population in their country. These UK birds are left into three categories for their conservation status.
Conservation Status Of Robin
- Red: The red conservation status defines that they are in global decline and need immediate action.
- Amber: The amber colour states moderate declination. Birds in this category are considered declined.
- Green: The birds in the green category are considered less concerned. Happily, the UK Robin sits in the green conservation rate.
Are Robins in Decline
The Robins generally don’t seem to decline. As they are territorial birds. So it’s common to see them alone or with mates.
During mid-summer, the Robins don’t need to struggle much in finding food. For this summertime, the adult birds moult and become introverted. So, you can expect less population of them. It may seem as if they are declining.
High Mortality Rate of Robin’s
The data says that between 40%-70% of Robin don’t cross their 1 year of life after birth. One of the most possible reasons for it is that they can’t cope with harsh weather during this time.
During the severe winter season, a Robin can lose up to 10% of its body weight in one night. Their body fat can hardly help them up to 2 days in extreme cold. But if this winter remains for a long period, they can’t survive.
The drowsy and cold Robins can be susceptible to being caught by predators also. Apart from that, they can also die from the territorial flight.
The Robins generally have a shorter lifespan. Still, there are many broods to have a successful long life. Luckily, since 1970, the population of Robin’s has increased by 45%.
How To Help Robins
You can help to grow Robin’s population in different ways. In that case, you have to attract them to your garden. Here are the ways you can follow to attract Robin birds:
Keep Ground Feeders
The Robins are generally ground feeders. You can give them a mixture of seeds, sunflower hearts, and mealworms in a tray over the ground. You can also give them soaking dried mealworms in water to attract them.
Feel Them Safe
The Robins are likely to stay in your garden once they see it is free from predators. Keep the bird feeders 2m away from the dense vegetation. It reduces the chance of cat attacks on them.
Place the nest boxes out of the reach for cats. To avoid the strongest sunlight and wet wind, you can face the box between East and North.
Keep the bird feeder clean and tidy. Otherwise, the birds can be infected by harmful bacteria. As well as clean the nest box regularly. But before you clean it, make sure there are no birds.
Common Habits Of Robins
Migration: There are different migration habits for the Robins. Where you can see some Robin’s come with sedentary migration habits who defend their territory year-round. While the others establish their territory in winter.
Generally, the Robin are not migratory birds. But few of them head on to the South during the Winter. At this time they join with other Robin’s who are coming from the North part of America and Scandinavia during autumn.
As the Robin are not migratory birds, they don’t disappear during summer, rather they become less visible during Summer. At that time, they tend to forage In the woods. So, you can’t expect them on your garden rock for food.
The Robin birds can amazingly cope with winter and snow. But living in Northern Europe and Russia is a bit difficult for them. Surprisingly, these Robins come to their breeding place once spring comes.
Robin Birds Lifespan
The Robin birds have a high mortality rate during their first year after birth. So, the average lifespan of a Robin bird is 13 months. Once they pass this barrier, they can survive for a long time. They have already recorded their lifespan up to 19 years as per the record.
Robin’s nature
Robin’s are generally aggressive birds who attack when another comes in their way. The male Robin starts their disputes singing at each other. They try to show off their redbreasts simultaneously at breeding time.
Sometimes this dispute leads to fights resulting in death or injury for them. In some areas, 10% of the Robin bird population decreased due to territorial fights.
Robin’s diet
Robin’s consume a wide variety of foods such as worms, seeds, nuts, and fruit. If you can keep a bird feeder in your garden, they will readily come there.
Specifically in winter, they will be present in your garden. A combination of suet, mealworm, and seeds will go well in their diet.
Robin’s Nest
The Robins generally breed at the start of March. But in mild weather, they can start breeding in January.
Robin’s are prolific breeders. They give three to five broods every year. Each of the broods contains 3-5 eggs.
The Robins’ hatches stay in incubation for 13 days and become fledgling after 14 days.
You can see Robin’s nest anywhere. But they like to nest 2 MTRs off the ground. Robin is also a very adaptive-natured bird. So, they can build their nest in the ground also. But it must be behind the grassy tussock.
They build their nest well concealed. So they can keep the occupants safe and protected from predators.
Nocturnal Robins
The Robin birds start their singing early in the morning while it stops in the early night. So, they are not nocturnal.
The Robins sing in winter to defend their winter territories. They can sing at night for some specific reasons such as loud noise, thunder or fireworks, shaking of roosting trees, floodlights, etc.
Nowadays, artificial lighting has disturbed their lifestyle, leading to an increase in nocturnal activities during the night.
Conclusion
Now you know how many Robin birds are there in the UK. From the article, you have also known a bit about them and how you can help their population. With a little bit of effort and care, you can also contribute to Robin bird conservation in the world. So, why not try to be a part here?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many kinds of Robin are there?
There are three major types of Robins in the UK. The American Robin lives in all parts of America, even in Mexico. The other two species are the Rufous-backed Robin and the White-throated Robin.
Q: Why are the Robins called red?
The Robins are named red as they have red breasts. These redbreasts are also highly associated with Christmas.
Q: Have all Robins red breasts?
Amazingly, both male and female Robins have red, making them distinct from other bird species in the UK. The youngsters generally have brown breasts. During their territorial flight, they try to show off their redbreasts during a fight.
