Robin
| Irish Name: | Spideog |
| Scientific name: | Erithacus rubecula |
| Bird Family: | Chats |
green
Conservation status
Conservation status
Status
Resident. Ireland's most widespread garden bird almost every year.
Identification
Probably the most familiar garden bird - the bright orange-red breast and facial area make it unmistakable. Upperparts a uniform greyish brown, belly and lower breast greyish white. The bill is dark and pointed and the legs black. Can appear very plump and rounded, especially in cold weather when the bird fluffs out its feathers. Can be very confiding, often perching motionless close to gardening activity. Occasionally cocks tail briefly.
Voice
Song a wispy, relatively slow series of notes ranging up and down the scale, becoming more rapid in parts - the notes rolling into each other. Somewhat melancholy - winter song even more so. Calls include a "tick" which is sometimes repeated to sound like an old clock being wound up. Also a plaintive, barely audible "seep".
Diet
Insects and some fruits, including apples. Readily comes to bird tables.
Breeding
Over 2 million pairs breed across the Republic of Ireland, in many different habitats. Nest usually well-concealed in a bank, ivy or cavity in tree or wall. Sometimes chooses unusual location such as a hat or garment hanging in garden shed. Will use open-fronted nestboxes.
Wintering
Widespread. Recorded in 99% of Irish gardens each winter.
Widespread and common throughout Ireland.
Resident all year, commonly seen in gardens during winter.
Blog posts about this bird
Tune In to Nature at a BirdWatch Ireland event this International Dawn Chorus Day
The soaring demand for concert tickets coupled with their sky-high prices may have left many music fans in Ireland disappointed this year but did you know that there are free, nationwide concerts taking place throughout April and May? All you need to do is step outside!
One of nature’s most spectacular phenomena, the dawn chorus is a symphony of birdsong that can be heard in the early hours of a spring morning. While this natural wonder kicks off at the beginning of the breeding season, it rises to a crescendo in April and May when our resident birds are joined by summer migrants.
The dawn chorus may sound soothing and inviting to us humans, but these feathered vocalists have different intentions. For them, the purpose of singing is to defend a territory and attract a mate. What sounds like a beautiful song to you is actually a male bird telling others to back off, while in turn, attempting to woo female birds in the vicinity.
As singing can reveal a bird’s location to potential predators, a bird will always wait until there is sufficient daylight to see danger coming before starting their tune. For this reason, the birds with the biggest eyes such as Blackbird, Song Thrush and Robin will begin to sing earlier in the morning than other species. As the morning grows brighter, more species will join, leading to the symphony of song we know as the dawn chorus.
One of the best things about the dawn chorus is that it can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. All you need is access to an outdoor space where birds are present and, if you’re not used to rising early, a decent alarm clock.
Robin. Photo: Michael Finn.
RTÉ Radio One’s live Dawn Chorus programme
If you don’t have access to an outdoor space or, if you prefer to enjoy the music from the comfort of your bed, you can still experience the magic of dawn chorus. On International Dawn Chorus Day this Sunday, May 5th, Ireland's airwaves will come alive with birdsong as the annual RTÉ Radio One live Dawn Chorus programme makes a return. This year, the Mooney Goes Wild team will once again be bringing listeners across Ireland and, thanks to RTÉ’s online presence, the world, a celebration of Irish birdsong from midnight through to 7:00 a.m. on RTÉ Radio One, in a simulcast with RTÉ Lyric fm and BBC Radio Wales. Derek Mooney will record live from the RTE studios in Dublin, while Niall Hatch and Jim Wilson will be based at BirdWatch Ireland’s Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve in Cobh, Co. Cork. From there, they will give listeners an insight into the fascinating dawn chorus, all while the birdsong builds in real time. Elsewhere across the country, Richard Collins, Éanna Ní Lamhna, Eric Dempsey and Terry Flanagan will bring us the birdsong live from their localities. The RTE Dawn Chorus programme is winner of both the National PPI Radio Award for Innovation and the coveted International Rose d’Or award.
Great Tit. Photo: BirdWatch Ireland.
BirdWatch Ireland Dawn Chorus Events
While the dawn chorus is a wonderful thing to witness alone, sharing it with others is also a very special experience. The BirdWatch Ireland Branch network will be running a number of free dawn chorus events over the coming weeks. See our list below to find an event near you! Cavan The Cavan Branch of BirdWatch Ireland will hold a Dawn Chorus Walk at Turbet Island, Belturbet on Sunday, May 5th. Meet at Turbet Island Car Park (entrance opposite Spar) at 4.30 a.m. Wear warm clothes, bring a snack and leave the dog at home please. Tea and biscuits to follow after the walk. Clare The BirdWatch Ireland Clare Branch Dawn Chorus Outing will take place on Sunday, May 12th to the Mullaghmore area in the Burren. We hope to hear Cuckoo, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer along with the more common songbirds. This is a unique habitat for such an event as the sun rises over the limestone rock. Meet at the Grotto, Corofin at 5 a.m. Cork BirdWatch Ireland’s Cork branch will hold a Dawn Chorus Event on Sunday, May 5th at 4.30 a.m. This will take place in the Glen River park on Ballyhooly Road, Cork City. The Eircode for the car park where we will meet is T23 A440. Cork (West) BirdWatch Ireland’s West Cork Branch will run a Dawn Chorus Event on Sunday, May 12th at Esk Mountain Estate, Glengarriff. It will kick off at 4.30 a.m. Visitors can park at Botanical B&B (Eircode P75 AW26; look out for our BirdWatch Ireland sign). This is 4.5 km north of Glengarriff on the N7. The walk will mainly be on woodchip paths, stone steps and boardwalks so sturdy footwear is recommended, as is warm clothing and, most importantly, midge repellent! It will last an hour or so and there will be breakfast baps and refreshments available to purchase afterwards. Unfortunately, the event this year is not wheelchair friendly. For more information, contact event leader Jez Simms on 087 689 6964. Dublin South BirdWatch Ireland’s South Dublin Branch will hold their Dawn Chorus Event on Sunday, May 12th in Killiney Hill Park. Meet in the car park at the top of Burmah Road off Dalkey Avenue at 4 a.m. Warm clothing is recommended. Fingal BirdWatch Ireland’s Fingal Branch will run a Dawn Chorus Outing at Turvey Park on Sunday, May 12th. Meet at the car park at 7 a.m. Kilkenny The Kilkenny branch of BirdWatch Ireland is holding a Dawn Chorus Outing on Sunday, May 12th at Jenkinstown Wood, Co. Kilkenny. We will be meeting at 4.30 a.m. in the car park in Jenkinstown. Mayo The BirdWatch Ireland Mayo Branch will hold their Dawn Chorus Event on Saturday, May 4th at North Mayo Heritage Centre. Meet in the car park at 6.45 a.m., with event kicking off at 7 a.m. All welcome. We ask that all children are accompanied by an adult. Warm clothing is recommended. This event may be cancelled due to bad weather. Notice will be provided via WhatsApp and, if feasible, via email and Facebook. Meath This year, the annual Dawn Chorus Event of the BirdWatch Ireland Meath Branch will take place in Balrath Woods on Monday, May 6th at 5 a.m. Join us as we observe various bird species during the early morning hours. After the walk, there will be music and drinks available. All welcome. To get an idea of numbers on the day please register here: https://www.birdwatchirelandmeath.com/event-details-registration/dawn-chorus-2024-balrath-woods. See directions here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yKKFSQxsHddTXDsA9. Sligo The BirdWatch Ireland Sligo Branch Dawn Chorus Walk will take place on Sunday, May 12th at Union Wood. It will be led by Trevor Hunter. Meet at Ballisodare United FC car park, Ballisodare, Co. Sligo at 5.00 a.m. Tipperary The BirdWatch Ireland Tipperary Branch will run a Dawn Chorus Event at Lough Derryville, Littleton, Co. Tipperary on Sunday, May 5th. Meet at the car park at 5 a.m. View location here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xj7pvK4H1x71URae6 Westmeath Join the BirdWatch Ireland Westmeath Branch for their annual Dawn Chorus Event on Sunday, May 5th. Enjoy a guided walk to explore the world of bird song at Belevedere House, Gardens and Park. Free admission. Event will take place from 5 a.m. until 7 a.m.
From early birds to late bloomers: exploring the nesting patterns of birds
Every March 1st, reminders of the annual hedge-cutting ban are disseminated and rolling in behind them are jokes and comments alluding to birds and their strict schedules.
Of course, birds don’t maintain annual calendars like you or I. If they did, things would be much more clear-cut! However, their behaviour including nesting and migration is tied to seasonal shifts. The rising temperatures and longer hours of daylight ushered in by spring prompt the beginning of nesting season for wild birds. The hedge-cutting ban is in place to prevent the destruction or disturbance of their nesting sites.
Blackbird. Photo: Jerry Cassidy.
Springing into nesting season
At present, the cut-off point for hedge-cutting is informed by the best available data. With the subject understudied here in Ireland, much of what we know about nesting is derived from UK data, specifically, the British Trust for Ornithology’s Nest Record Scheme (NRS). Based on the information we have, March 1st is considered an appropriate time to stop hedge-cutting for most nesting birds. However, in reality, it is likely that the nesting season begins much earlier in Ireland than in the UK owing to our milder climate. We also know that some birds nest earlier in the season. Data from the BTO Nest Record Scheme shows that some species such as Blackbird and Robin can nest much earlier than March 1st, with records of both species nesting in January (or even December) becoming annual. As the ongoing climate crisis drives global temperatures up, it is possible that “early nesting” will become the norm, rather than the exception. Indeed, a US study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology showed that one-third of 72 bird species studied are now nesting significantly earlier than they did historically. These species, which include Blue Jays and Field Sparrows, are now laying their eggs on average 25 days earlier than 100 years ago.
Robin. Photo: Brian Burke
Late-nesting birds
While August 31 currently marks the end of the ban on hedge-cutting, that is not to say that all chicks will have fledged by this date. Once again, things are a bit more complicated than that. Initiated in 2017, BirdWatch Ireland’s Late-nesting Bird Project collected information about Yellowhammer and other bird species such as Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Blackbird that may be nesting in hedgerows in August and September. A large pool of recorders in 20 counties were asked to note breeding evidence of hedgerow nesting birds in August and September. In order to avoid disturbance, they were asked to note breeding evidence as opposed to actively searching for nests. Breeding evidence includes a singing male, a bird carrying nest material, an adult carrying a fecal sac or food, agitated behaviour, and more. The results showed that Yellowhammer in particular nests well into August and September. The Yellowhammer is a Red-listed species of Conservation Concern, meaning that it is at the highest level of conservation concern and in danger of extinction. Failure to acknowledge and protect late-nesting species by adhering to the current legislation could lead to the quiet chipping away of what remains of this wonderful species. Yellowhammer were not the only species shown to nest into the autumn months. The next most regularly recorded species during August and September were Goldfinch (19), Greenfinch (16), Woodpigeon (10) and Blackbird (9). Once again, we must not lose sight of the impact of climate change. As temperatures increase, it is possible that more birds will nest late into the year.
Yellowhammer. Photo: Colum Clarke.
