Birds in the garden: robins

Robins aren't as common in the garden as some of the other bird species, though in 2000 I was very pleased when a pair of robins chose to nest in the ivy here (see below). Despite their rearing several surviving young, numbers didn't seem to increase, and we didn't see many robins in recent years.

In the spring of 2006 I was pleased to see that a pair of young robins were visiting the bird table. I wouldn't have recognised them as young robins if I hadn't seen the ones raised in our garden previously, as the juveniles are speckled brown and don't have the familiar red breast.

The adults, of course, are very familiar. Though in different countries we have different birds we call "robin". The American robin has a red breast too but is a very different bird.

On the left - the European robin, the type we have in the garden here (Erithacus rubecula - to give it its proper name). On the right - the American robin (Turdus migratorius).

Thanks to Gale White from Philadelphia for the photo of the American robin. The photo of the European robin is copyright CRS Photography.