The European robin, known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain & Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family.
A robin's lifespan is just 13 months on average due to high mortality among robins in their first year. Once they've passed that barrier, they stand a much better chance of surviving for quite a while - the record currently stands at 19 years.
On average, robins only live a couple of years, but a few reach quite an advanced age. The oldest known wild individual was 11 years 5 months.
As of February, 2001, the longest-living banded wild robin ever recorded had survived 13 years and 11 months, according to the Bird Banding Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. In captivity, robins have survived longer than 17 years.
The simple answer to this question is YES! Robins can recognise humans. For the most part, robins recognise a human's traits, such as the way they move, walk and even facial features. For the most part, though, robins closely follow your schedule and movements, especially when food is involved.
The more time you spend with them, the more your Robins will become familiar with you and grow trust. In time they will be confident enough to eat from your hand. To gain their trust, place their favourite food 2 - 3 meters away from you and let them get used to eating near you.
Many people believe that a visit from a Robin is a sign that a lost relative is visiting them, in the spiritual world Robins are viewed as a symbol of visits from our deceased loved ones. The Robin also symbolises new beginnings and life, and is also looked upon by many as a sign of fortune and good luck.
Of course, scientists have one very accurate way of telling how old some individual birds are: they put a numbered band on one leg of birds they've trapped in special nets called mist nets, or on one leg of nestlings.
How smart are robins? A. Robins are not quick to learn new things as blue jays, and do not have as good reasoning power as jays. But they are adaptable, and can quickly figure out how to find food and shelter in a new area where they've never been before.
Another reason why Robins are tame is history. Being a woodland edge species, the Robin has always lived near humans. In the last 150 years in Britain it has coexisted close to us but not been persecuted.
In addition to bushes, hedge banks and trees, an adult or juvenile robin can be found sleeping in log piles, wellies, sheds and even under car bonnets. They also appreciate the security and warmth that nesting boxes and hanging baskets provide. Here, they can stay warm and hidden under a roof canopy.
Robins feed on insects (especially beetles) and worms. You might notice one following you about as your dig up your garden hoping to nab a few worms as you unearth them. Robins can also eat fruit, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts and raisins.
Many HY American Robins can be easily aged by the presence of a molt limit among the greater coverts, with the inner replaced formative feathers generally longer and grayer/darker than the retained outer juvenile featheres, which are browner and often have white tips or shaft streaks.
The male robin is brighter in color than the female. His eye ring, bright beak color, black head, and white throat markings all show this bird is a male. The female's feathers look washed out and faded compared to the darker, richer colors of the male.
Robins are in turn eaten by foxes, bobcats, hawks, shrikes, and owls, and crows and blue jays often take their eggs and babies. These are all natural predators.
Robins goes through the nest-building process each time they produce a new brood, so about two or three times a season.
New research suggests that some birds may know who their human friends are, as they are able to recognize people's faces and differentiate between human voices. Being able to identify a friend or potential foe could be key to the bird's ability to survive.
That familiarity leaves no doubt that pet birds can and do feel emotions. Without as much intimate interaction with wild birds, however, it can be difficult to see the same emotional depth in backyard birds.
Part of the reason links back to their confrontational tendencies, Robins keen to protect the occupation of their hard-won territories. Their song may sound wonderfully mellow to us, but it is essentially a 'war cry,' warning other Robins to stay well clear.
Robins can have one to three broods per year and build a new nest for each. Robins often return to the same area, yard, even tree annually to nest.
Do robins mate for life? Robins are monogamous during the breeding season but generally do not mate for life. However, if successful broods are raised, robins will occasionally return to the same territory the next year to raise subsequent broods.
Storks are symbols of good luck.
Your house or car windows act as mirrors to the birds. When they are close enough to see their reflection, they interpret this as an intruder and begin attacking, pecking, or tapping at the window every morning, and throughout the day to chase the intruder away.
Robins are often seen as a sign of visits from our deceased family members or loved ones in the spiritual world, and many people take a visit from one as a sign that one is on its way. In addition to representing a fresh start in life, the Robin is seen by many as a lucky charm.