Robins

hi,

i have two robins in my garden who have had a chick and i was just wondering how to tell the difference between the male and female birds?

thank you !

  • Hi, The way to tell the sexes apart is their behaviour. If this was May rather than July then I would tell you to see which one continues to feed the fledgling after the first few days and which one 'disappears' for a while. The male continues to feed the young after the female has started to either build a new nest or (occasionally) use the first one again. The male is also more vocal at this time of year and part of his parental duties is to teach the youngsters how to communicate. Earlier in the breeding season you might get the chance to witness courtship feeding, where the male feeds the female. Most males and a few females hold a territory during the Autumn and Winter. Some females will migrate and return to a territory (rather than a mate) in late December. Males will start to sing loudly from high vantage points in late December in order to attract a mate.
    Also, it is the female who builds the nest and incubates the eggs. She will occasionally leave the nest to bathe or eat,
    Hope this helps...
  • ok .
    thank you that really helps!
    we did think they were building a new nest because where they are now there was definitely a black bird in there at the start of the breeding season .
    thanks again