Everyone's festive psychopath - the Robin

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, 22 December 2022
Everyone's festive psychopath - the Robin
Robin © Steve Brown

By Michael Blencowe, Head of Community Action

Americans have chosen to align themselves with a mighty eagle. India have elected the elegant peacock. But we've voted an antisocial, murderous ball of anger as our national bird. So what is it about the Robin that us Brits find so endearing?

Well that famous orange-red breast, a flaming flash of feathers in a bland back garden of Blackbirds, Sparrows and Starlings is certainly striking. Those disproportionately large eyes give Robins a cute 'face' but they're useful to a bird which hunts for beetles and worms under bushes in low light levels.

They're certainly cheeky little beggars. As we kneel weeding in the mud they'll hop along hoping for a castaway worm. Elsewhere in Europe, Robins actively avoid human contact and inhabit dark forests where they follow feeding boars as they dig in the soil. So in Britain Robins view us as big pigs in gardening gloves.

Woods Mill Robin © Stephen Redden
Woods Mill Robin © Stephen Redden

Surely the greatest coup that the Robin has pulled off is cornering the lucrative Christmas market, especially considering the only other bird we associate with Christmas is beheaded and stuffed into an oven at gas mark 4. This Christmas connection is linked to the red tunic plumage of Victorian postmen. Robins were pictured carrying the post on the earliest Christmas cards and since then the have joined Rudolph, snowmen and Santa himself as Christmas celebrity A-listers.

Attractive, friendly and festive - everyone loves a Robin. Well everyone it seems apart from other Robins. Robins hate other Robins.

Robins are highly territorial and, once invisible boundaries have been established, Robins will rule their kingdom like feathered Fuhrers. They'll sing their washing-line war cries from dawn to dusk or patrol the garden noisily tick-tick-tick-ing like a timebomb and cocking their tail threateningly. Female Robins are just as tyrannical and will also sing and scuffle, unusual amongst female birds. Robins are equal opportunity aggressors and will fight other birds no matter what colour; but when a Robin sees red it sees red. Robins will peck, scratch, batter and kick any other Robin that puts as much as a feather across their line. Behind that red breast beats the black heart of a ruthless killing machine. Fatalities are common.

For the past few months this front lawn turf war has intensified but around Christmas there are subtle signs of a ceasefire. The song of the Robin becomes more hopeful and in the bleak midwinter something remarkable happens; Robins unexpectedly and temporarily fall in love. For a brief period courting couples can be seen feeding alongside each other. As we enter the New Year this peace agreement ends and it's back to brutal business as usual. But these Christmas couples will re-unite to form a family in the spring.

More about the Robin's song here

For Robins, Christmas is a time for peace, hope and worms. Here's hoping you have a similar Christmas full of peace and hope. As for the worms? I'm sure we'll all open a whole new can in 2023

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Comments

  • Peter Wilton:

    You didn’t mention that it’s “proper” name was originally the redbreast, but that its nickname “Robin” eventually took over.

    23 Dec 2022 22:41:00

  • Lottie Harrison:

    Incredible insight news about the Robin!thanks
    Had no idea it was an aggressive bird…it looks very friendly and comes close…but I always wondered why it’s alone? An aggressive loner?

    04 Aug 2023 19:00:00

  • Richard:

    I have several robins in my garden, some are friendly, and others are extremely wary. Are the wary ones european?

    03 Jan 2025 09:31:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    It could be the European migrants that are the shyer birds, due to our residents being more used to being in gardens around people, whereas on the continent they may inhabit larger undisturbed woodland areas. Or it could just simply be that, as many animals do, Robins have different personalities, and some are more confident than others!

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