In Praise of Robins
A bird close to our hearts
As the Northern hemisphere enters another winter, of short days, dark evenings, cold and damp, we need anything to bring cheer. So this is in praise of the humble robin, one of the few birds to sing even at this time of year, as they continue to defend their territory.
Their plaintive and melancholy song can be heard through the long winter months. They only stop singing in late summer when moulting. They are one of the first birds to start the dawn chorus, and put in long hours, being one of the last birds to stop in the evenings.
Sometimes known as the “gardener’s friend”, a robin will often follow you round the garden hoping to pick up an insect or worm that we may unearth. It is perhaps for this friendship, that robins feature on many Christmas cards, a bird we cherish and associate with good times.
Robins, Latin name Erithacus rubecula, are not always so friendly. They can be aggressive towards rivals, even attacking their own reflection in car mirrors, and such attacks account for 10% of the fatalities of adult robins, and they will even attack birds of other species. They are very adaptable birds, and are known to nest in unusual places, such as watering cans, kettles and flowerpots.
