European robin
| European Robin | ||||||||||||||
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| Erithacus rubecula |
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), is a common European songbird, known for its pugnacious behaviour despite its diminutive size. Robins have a fluting, warbling song. Both males and females sing during the mating season, which is from late December until mid-January. When the females have paired they stop singing, but the males continue throughout the year. Robins often sing into the evening, and sometimes into the night, leading some to confuse them with the nightingale.
The robin is well-known to gardeners: it is relatively unafraid of humans and likes to come close when digging is going on, in order to look out for food freshly turned up: when the gardener stops for a break the robin will often use the handle of the spade as a lookout point.
British robins are largely resident but some, usually female, migrate to Spain and southern Europe during winter. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain to escape harsh winters.
The "robin redbreast" has much folklore surrounding it (especially various explanations as to how it acquired its blood-red front) and has become strongly associated with Christmas, taking a starring role on many a Christmas card.
The larger American robin, Turdus migratorius, is named for its similarity to this bird, not because they are closely related. (The similarity lies largely in the orange chest patch in both species, which has led to the common nickname "robin redbreast".)