Robins can be spotted in UK gardens all year round but they are particularly noticeable during the winter as they don’t migrate.
The birds will often be spotted gathering materials to build nests or searching for food, especially when the weather is cold as their usual sources of sustenance can be harder to come by. The birds typically feed on a diet of live insects, worms and fruit, but this supply of food can dry up a bit in the winter as the ground is often hard or frozen, and fruit trees and bushes are bare.
As such, wildlife experts urge gardeners to help support the tiny red-breasted birds by leaving extra food out for them. This is particularly important at this time of the year as it not only helps the birds stay warm, but it’s also essential to helping them build up their fat stores for energy.
Robins are natural ground feeders so leaving food out for them on ground feeding trays, or bird tables, is a good way to ensure they stay well fed as it provides an easily accessible place for them to sit and eat.
Wildlife experts say it’s important to provide robins with high-energy foods at this time of the year to help them thrive and recommend offering them a mixture of seeds, such as sunflower hearts, and mealworms – a particular favourite for robins accordion to the Woodland Trust.
Bird food specialists Beaky Bites explains: “A key aspect of high quality bird seed is its high energy content. Black sunflower seeds for example are a high energy food that’s easily accessible to birds. Many garden bird watchers provide black sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts as staple foods because of their nutritional value. These seeds are great as they are consumed quickly and don’t leave husks behind, reducing mess around the feeders.
“Sunflower seeds are loved by many birds, including tits and greenfinches, for their high energy content. These seeds provide the energy birds need to go about their daily activities especially during colder months when their energy needs are higher. But one downside of feeding black sunflower seeds is they can create a pile of husks below the feeder that may need to be cleaned regularly.
“Including high energy seeds like sunflower seeds in your bird feeders gives your feathered friends the energy they need to thrive. This is especially important during breeding season and winter when their energy needs peak.”
Peanuts are another great high-energy source of food that robins enjoy, but gardeners are urged to avoid leaving them out during the breeding season, which typically runs from March until August.
Peanuts should be avoided entirely during this period as they can pose a choking hazard for young birds, so it’s safer to offer peanut granules which are smaller and easier to consume.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) warns: “Never place out loose nuts, especially during the breeding season, but offer them either enclosed in a rigid mesh feeder from which birds are only able to extract small pieces, or finely chopped in a seed mix.
“Salted peanuts should never be given to birds. Aflatoxin is a poison produced by a fungus, which can occur on peanuts in their country of origin. It is a powerful toxin, harmful to people and birds. Only buy nuts from a reputable dealer, who can guarantee that the nuts are free from aflatoxin.”
