The poster-bird of countless Christmas cards, December is the robin’s time in the spotlight. But robins aren’t just for Christmas. Because they rarely move far from where they’ve hatched and, generally speaking, don’t migrate, they’re with us all year round – and yes, that cheeky chappie who joins you while you’re gardening is likely the same individual. Feisty and bold, robins are highly territorial and operate alone, unlike sociable sparrows or finches which you’ll mostly find in flocks.
So why are robins associated with Christmas?
1. Firstly, those red feathers. Of all the birds hopping round your feeder, robins look like they’ve just pulled on a Christmas jumper and are about to start administering mince pies round the office. Put simply, a robin just looks festive, especially when perched prettily on a holly branch. Posers.
2. The tradition of sending Christmas cards started with the Victorians, who nicknamed their postmen ‘robins’ or ‘redbreasts’ because they wore waistcoats of – you guessed it – a nice, natty scarlet.
3. There’s also a Christmas legend that tells of a small brown bird which fanned the fire in Jesus’ stable to keep him warm – and so the robin got its red breast. I wouldn’t bet many chocolate coins on this one being true, but hey, it's a nice story.
4. Long before the birth of Christianity, robins had a place in festive folklore. Possibly because they keep on singing while everything else is quiet, and are so easy to spot in the snow, they were adopted by midwinter festivals as a symbol of hope and luck.
You can buy posters and prints like this one from RSPB Images
And don't forget the RSPB shop for nature-inspired Christmas cards (we've got robins aplenty!)