There are scores of birds world wide which have robin of their title – Australia has no fewer than 18 – however the authentic Robin, Erithacus rubella, isn’t associated to any of them. It’s in a genus all of its personal. The title is a diminutive of Robert, and was as soon as generally used as an affectionate nickname for individuals known as Robert. Right here within the UK it’s the title we use for what’s considered one of our most acquainted birds, however curiously it’s not one with a protracted historical past, because the Robin was previously often known as the Redbreast. Look in any of the previous chicken guide and you discover no point out of Robin. The British Ornithologists’ Union formally accepted Robin as a substitute for Redbreast as just lately as 1952.
At present you by no means hear anybody use the title Redbreast, although that is, in fact, the Robin’s most blatant characteristic. I’m stunned that we now have been allowed to maintain the title Robin, and it hasn’t been renamed the Crimson-chested Backyard Chat, or one thing related. It is without doubt one of the few birds that the majority British individuals can each recognise and title, whereas it has lengthy had a detailed affiliation with Christmas.
Why it needs to be so intently related to Christmas is a little bit of a thriller. The primary British postmen wore pink coats, and because of this got the nickname of robin or redbreast, so that is the obvious connection. There isn’t any point out of the species within the Bible, whereas Robins don’t happen within the Holy Land, however they did seem on Victorian Christmas playing cards, representing the postman. At present they nonetheless characteristic on many playing cards, normally perched in snow.
A typical Christmas-card scene: snow, Robins, and a pink put up field. The artist, Pip Wilson, has managed to slide a cock Pheasant into the wintry panorama
It’s unattainable for us people to inform the sexes aside visually, although thankfully the birds themselves appear to have no issues. Younger Robins are spotty and don’t have pink breasts, however they purchase the pink feathers after their first moult, which may be as much as two months after leaving the nest. Every Robin has a singular breast sample, and may (with issue) be recognised individually
Female and male Robins maintain their very own territories within the winter, and each sexes sing an identical winter tune. They defend their territories fiercely from different Robins, typically preventing to the demise. They not occasionally sing at evening, normally beneath synthetic lights, and this has usually led to them being mistaken for Nightingales. The so-called winter tune may be heard as early as July, and is normally described as sounding moderately unhappy, suppressed and even introverted. On the finish of the yr the cocks begin performing their full-blooded spring tune, a positive signal of the altering season.
They’re short-lived: the report for longevity is held by a ringed chicken that survived till it was over eight. Ringing recoveries of British-ringed birds have proven that probably the most frequent explanation for demise is being killed by a cat. They’ve been protected in Britain for a few years, however are nonetheless caught and eaten in some European international locations, together with Italy. On the finish of the Victorian period they have been trapped in Britain in order that their skins might adorn women’ hats, however that vogue ultimately handed.
Because of ringing we all know that British Robins seldom transfer removed from the place they hatched, however the birds that breed within the forests of Scandinavia migrate to the Mediterranean for the winter. A few of these birds will move by way of jap Britain on their means south, nevertheless it’s thought that few stay right here for the winter. The issue for these migrants is that our resident (unfriendly) robins already maintain all the very best territories, so the northern birds should proceed a lot farther south to determine territories the place there are not any resident robins.
Whereas our Robins are famously tame and approachable, Continental Robins are usually shy. A wildlife photographer good friend of mine finds that Finnish photographers, visiting Britain, like to {photograph} Robins right here, as their birds are a lot tougher to {photograph} satisfactorily.
Many makes an attempt have been made to introduce robins to America, Australia and New Zealand. All have failed. The scores of birds world wide with the title robin have all acquired their title due to a bodily resemblance to Erithacus rubella, however few are even distantly associated to our chicken. The Australian robins, regardless of being related in form and measurement to our chicken, are actually flycatchers. The North American Robin is a thrush, however was the closest chicken the early settlers might discover to their acquainted Robin from house.
Robins feed primarily on bugs and different arthropods akin to spiders and worms, however they’re extremely omnivorous, and readily take seeds and berries. Nonetheless, given a alternative of any meals, most Robins like mealworms better of all, and offering mealworms is the best solution to make a backyard Robin hand tame.
