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European Robin

European Robin

Erithacus rubecula

Identify the European Robin by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The European Robin is a small, round songbird with a bright orange-red face and breast, brown upperparts and a pale belly. Widespread across Europe to western Siberia and North Africa, it is largely resident in milder western and southern regions but migratory in the colder north and east. Strongly territorial and often remarkably confiding, it sings a clear, fluting song even in autumn and winter. Once grouped with the thrushes, it is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family.

Did you know?

  • Its old name “redbreast” arose before “orange” existed as a colour word in English.
  • Robins often sing through autumn and winter, not just in spring.

Voice

Song
Call
Alarm call

About the species

Identification

A small songbird with a distinctive orange-red face and breast; the upperparts are brown, and a blue-grey border runs along the sides of the red area. The wing shows a narrow buff wing bar; the bill and eyes are dark and the legs slender. Juveniles are brown and finely spotted, without the adult's red breast.

Family

Turdidae

Size

Small (sparrow)

Colours

orange, brown, grey, red, white

About the habitat

Woodland with dense undergrowth, forest edges, scrub, hedgerows, parks and gardens. It nests low in holes, banks, among tree roots or in man-made nooks.

Diet

Mainly insects and other invertebrates such as spiders and worms; also berries and small fruits, especially outside the breeding season.

Behaviour

Usually solitary and strongly territorial, and both sexes may defend territories in winter. It forages on or near the ground by hopping and dropping on prey from low perches, often flicking its wings and tail. It sings from exposed perches, also in winter, and can become very tame, even following gardeners to snatch worms. Northern and eastern birds migrate to milder regions for the winter.

Sources

Photo: Francis C. Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erithacus rubecula with cocked head.jpg

Sound: Benoît Van Hecke, XC527484, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/527484

Sound: Sonothèque ADVL, XC918604, CC0 1.0 https://xeno-canto.org/918604

Sound: Dan Stowell, XC178578, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/178578

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_robin

See also