Robins can get more physically aggressive around traffic, study finds trends now
Britain's iconic robin redbreast is especially under threat in the winter due to declining winter temperatures, wildlife experts have warned.
A combination of disappearing hedgerows, declining food resources and harsh cold spells means robins are relying on bird feeders in the public's back gardens more than ever.
The robin (Erithacus rubecula), which was officially voted 'the UK's national bird in 2015 and is considered an emblem of the festive season, can lose up to 10 per cent of its body weight in a single winter night while attempting to keep warm.
But unless it can feed well and replenish its reserves every day, a cold spell could be fatal, according to wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES).
European robin, Erithacus rubecula, with grubs in its beak feeding its young in a garden nesting box, Painswick, Gloucestershire, UK
Robin numbers in our gardens have already decreased 32 per cent since 1979, the RSPB found, and without supplementary bird feeding in people's gardens, up to half of robins in Britain could die of cold and starvation in a winter season.
Robins like eating insects and worms, but also feed on nuts and fruit such as berries from the hedgerows – however, around 50 per cent of British hedgerows have been lost since WWII.
Robins
