Bird school

• Brambling
• Blue tit
• Bullfinch
• Blackbird
• Barn swallow
• Bohemian waxwing
• Black woodpecker
• Black redstart
• Blackcap
• Chaffinch
• Chiffchaff
• Crow
• Coal tit
• Crested tit
• Common swift
• Common treecreeper
• Dunnock
• Fieldfare
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Greater woodpecker
• Garden warbler
• Great tit
• Green woodpecker
• House martin
• House sparrow
• Hawfinch
• Jackdaw
• Linnet
• Long-tailed tit
• Lesser whitethroat
• Lesser spotted woodpecker
• Marsh tit
• Magpie
• Mistle thrush
• Nightingale
• Nuthatch
• Pheasant
• Pied flycatcher
• Redpoll
• Rook
• Redstart
• Robin
• Spotted flycatcher
• Siskin
• Starling
• Song thrush
• Yellowhammer
• Winter wren
• Willow
• Tree sparrow
• Wood pigeon
• White wagtail
• Willow tit
• Whitethroat

The robin

Did you know?

The male

The robin is an extraordinary bird, partly because of its appearance, its red breast, the dark peppercorn eye and the dapper body, and partly because of its behaviour, its tendency to suddenly appear from the shadow of a bush or jump across the lawn with its feet together like a little mechanical toy. The red breast plays an important part when it marks its territory. ”One bush can never house more than one robin” is what Zenodotos wrote even before our era. The average age is surprisingly low, barely one year.

Appearance
The rusty red breast on the otherwise grey bird makes him easy to recognise, as well as the slightly drooping wings and the short tail. The long legs and the beady eyes are also marked features.

Similar bird
Sometimes mistaken for the greyish brown winter wren, possibly because of its slight stature. The winter wren on the other hand has an upright short tail which makes it instantly recognisable.

Sounds and song
Particularly active at dusk, and will snap as if winding up clockwork. The robin’s song begins with a few high, drawn out fine notes followed by another drawn out, trembling and rippling silvery notes which die down after a little while.

Food and bird tables
Will visit the table from time to time.
The robin feeds on insects and insect larvae. Most insect eaters leave the country in the winter, but the robin is the exception along with the winter wren and the tree creeper. If you look at their beaks you will understand why they are unable to crack sunflower seeds or bite through hard fruits. Their beaks are rather formed to extract insects from their hideouts. During long and snowy winters many of these birds die before the spring sun is out again.
He will come to the bird table during the winter if you offer him the right kind of food. If you wish to feed the robin with high-energy food in the winter mealworm is the best suited, but crushed seeds work as well.
The traditional bird feeders and dispensers birds visit aren’t always appropriate for birds who normally sit on the ground and need a plane surface to sit on. >> Mulitholk

The nest and hollows
Will nest in hollows, particularly years when there are plenty of voles. The nest is built in hollow tree stumps, in between tree roots and in cracks in denser thickets. It consists of moss and is lined with fine roots and blades of grass. The robin may move into a nesting box certain years provided it has the right design with a balcony opening. The size of their territories depends on the vegetation, but an area of 1000 square metres usually won’t house more than one or two pairs. It is in this narrow area which the couple has to manage to find food and raise its family.