Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae)

Robin

Erithacus rubecula

Length
14 cm
Weight
16–22 g
Clutch
4–6 eggs
Incubation
13–14 days
Fledging
13–14 days
Broods
2–3 per year
Nest box
Open-fronted box, 1–2 m high, well hidden in climbers

Identification

  • Orange-red face and breast edged with grey
  • Olive-brown upperparts
  • Juveniles speckled golden-brown with no red

Wistful, liquid warble sung almost all year — one of the few birds that sings through winter.

Diet and garden feeding

Worms, beetles and other invertebrates; berries and seed in winter.

  • Best foods: Mealworms, Suet pellets, Sunflower hearts, Grated cheese.
  • Robins are fiercely territorial; a second feeding spot out of sight of the first reduces fights.

Nesting

Cup in a hollow, ivy or open-fronted box, usually low down.

Robins by country

Sources

  1. Robin — RSPB bird guide
  2. Robin — BTO BirdFacts

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.