RSPB Scotland’s Molly Martin highlights just some of the amazing robins to be found around the world.
Robins from around the world
Robins and Christmas have long gone hand in hand - some versions of the nativity have the robin play an important role!
These days robins can be found on Christmas cards, jumpers, decorations, in songs and carols and especially our own gardens! One of the reasons robins are synonymous with Christmas to many is the large numbers of European robins that visit over winter. This population added to our native birds who stay in the UK means the chance of having a robin in your garden at Christmas is very high!
However, did you know there are different species of robin found all over the world? Here’s an introduction to just a few…
American robin
This robin from across the pond is a relative of the thrush family named after the European robin as it too has a bright red breast. This hardy bird is found from Canada down to Mexico, and famously (and erroneously!) featured in the original Mary Poppins film in place of a native London bird.
Credit: Becky Matsubara, Flickr
Oriental magpie-robin
This bird is more closely related to our European robin (both are Old World flycatchers), and found across India and Southeast Asia. Oriental magpie-robins look like you might expect- a cross between a magpie and a robin! They’re black and white, have a very recognisable song, and are common garden birds in tropical southern Asia. They’re also the national bird of Bangladesh.
Cape robin
This is one of the species of robin found in Africa. The cape robin has a range from South Sudan to South Africa. It has similar colouring to the European robin, with a grey/brown body and orangey-red chest but has a very distinct white eyebrow. Like the European robin, they are highly territorial, and will adopt a garden and keep watch over it.
Flame robin
Credit: Dominic Sherony, Flickr
This is one species of Australasian robins, all of which have bright colours and names to match (rose robin, pink robin, scarlet robin, yellow robin). The flame robin has a striking black, white and grey body, and vibrant orange breast! Flame robins are said to have the most musical of songs from robins on this continent. There are at least 15 Australasian robin species, well worth looking up pictures of them all!
What’s your favourite robin? Tell us in the comments!
Adult males are the ones most likely to do so, and they do so when on route to or from their breeding or wintering grounds. Researchers that track birds have discovered that just 25% of baby robins make it through the first year. The usual longevity of an American robin is around 2 years, although the greatest documented lifespan is 14 years.
American robins are part of the Turdidae family of birds, which includes roughly 180 species of related thrushes. European robins (Erithacus rubecula) live throughout Europe (except in the far north), Russia, and western Siberia. British and Irish robins are largely sedentary, and most do not move more than 5km. Those that do are usually adult males moving between their breeding and winter territories. Bird banders have found that only 25% of young robins survive the first year. The longest known lifespan in the wild of an American robin is 14 years; the average lifespan is about 2 years.
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I’ve definitely picked up anything new from right here. Robins are amazing birds in terms of their color and habitat. And you can try home design game !!!
We've got to say our robin is the best! The Flame robin is a stunning looking bird though.