Why do robins have red breasts

I see two of them most of the time in my garden. The main reason robins seem to disappear in summer is that out of their breeding season, they start to skulk a lot ore than during spring. Drawing attention to yourself could result in a cat or a sparrowhawk spotting you. During the breeding season they need to be seen by other robins to make sure they can defend a territory and provide enough food for the chicks.

Otherwise, stay down and keep a low profile. Hide the orange breast because it could give you away! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In the Last Saturday Blog … We talked about when exactly snowdrops flower.

Leave a message below and send your pictures to: russ naturetalksandwalks. Take care, and stay on the wild side. Russ Pictures provided by wildlife photographer John Barlow. Share on Facebook. Follow us. Comments I have noticed in my back garden a robin red breast, without a red breast. Hi Bill, Thanks for getting in touch! Do you have a picture of the bird in question?

All the best, Russ. Robins spend a lot of their time on the ground foraging. They tend to perch motionless then make a sudden movement, stop still and then repeat. They hop rapidly along the ground with feet together, and will also curtesy and cock tail.

Along with their red breast, they can be distinguished by their narrow yellow wing bar. In mating season, the female will chase the male until she is accepted, after which he rewards her with food for her efforts. Robins nest in hollow stumps, banks, crevices, in natural or artificial holes. The nest will use a base of dead leaves or cup of moss.

Lays eggs that are white with a rusty appearance. Robins live on average for 2 years, this is due to higher mortality during the first year of a robins life. After this time, their chances of survival increase dramatically meaning they can be around for quite a long time. The oldest recorded sits at 19 years old.

In the UK, robins are largely sedentary, but some will travel to continental Europe in winter and can reach as far south as Spain. Meanwhile, visitors will arrive in Britain from northern Europe in order to escape the harsh winters there. Robins are protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act and their conservation status is currently green. However, their most common cause of death is being killed by cats.

Most British robins are sedentary, defending their territories year-round, with many females also establishing their own winter territories.

However, a handful head south to winter on the Continent, joining other robins passing through in the autumn on their way from Scandinavia and northern continental Europe.

Interestingly, it has been shown that many migrating robins are faithful to both their summer and winter territories, which may be many hundreds of kilometres apart. When food is more readily available during the summer, robins are more likely to forage out of sight in the woods rather than coming to your bird table in the garden. The exception is robins that spend the winter here to escape harsher weather in Russia and elsewhere in northern Europe.

These robins migrate back to their breeding grounds in spring. But its evolutionary purpose is for a more serious role, with male robins using it to settle territorial disputes, especially during the breeding season. Robins are very territorial birds and will viciously attack other robins that on their patch.

A dispute starts with males singing at each other, trying to get a higher perch in order to show off their breast most effectively. This usually ends the challenge, with one individual deferring to the other. In some populations, up to 10 per cent of adult mortality is due to clashes over territory.

Robins eat a wide variety of food, including worms, seeds, nuts, suet, invertebrates and fruit. If the weather is mild, they can breed as early as January, though it is more usual for them to start in March. Robins are prolific breeders, often producing between three and five broods a year, each containing four or five eggs.

These broods can overlap, with the male feeding the chicks of one clutch while the female sits on the eggs of the next. This enables the population to bounce back readily from any overwinter population losses.

Robins will nest almost anywhere. Robin nests are usually located about 2m off the ground, within a recess or hollow sheltered by vegetation such as ivy.