How to Identify a European Robin

Look out for a red breast. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the robin is its red breast. This might be more orange than red in some robins. Part of their face will be this colour too.

• Keep in mind that juvenile robins do not have a red breast, but it will instead be a more brownish colour.^[14]
• Both male and female robins will have a red breast.^[15]
• While robins are one of the most common, it is not the only bird to have a red breast.

Take its size into consideration. Robins tend to be about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, with a wingspan of 20-22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 inches). They tend to weigh about 14-21 g (0.5-0.75 oz).^[16]

Take note of the other colours, including the colours of its legs. A European robin will have brown or pink legs. Apart from its red breast, it will also have feathers which are brown, cream, yellow, grey or white.^[17]

• A robin may not have all these colours, or it may be hard to tell some colours apart, but it will usually exhibit at least some of them.

Look at its beak. A robin will have a black beak which is short and thin.^[18]

Compare it with a baby robin. Younger robins tend to look a bit difficult. They won't have a red breast, but instead will be brown with speckles.^{[19] [20]} Both the adult and juvenile robin have thin and rather long legs and they both look a little "big-headed".

Know the differences in sex. This can be difficult as they are virtually identical. A female robin is more likely to migrate in the winter. A male robin is more likely to bring female robins food. The grey fringe around a male robin's breast continues to grow as it gets older. The male robin also typically has a larger breast.^[21]

Observe it's eggs. Robin eggs tend to be quite pale but heavily freckled.^[22] The eggs are usually 20×15 mm in size (0.8 by 0.6 inches). The eggs are quite smooth with white matte.^[23]

• Do not touch, move, or interfere with the eggs in any way. Robins are known to abandon their nests if they suspect it has been discovered.^[24]
• You won't expect to see blue robin eggs in Europe. American robin eggs are blue, but in Europe, they are white/cream in colour with brown/red speckles.^[25]

Attract robins to your garden or allotment. There are a number of ways to do this. You could leave out a bird feeder, make your own fat balls or bird cake, make a log feeder, or hang a nestbox.^[26]

• Keep in mind that this may attract other birds too.
• Winter is usually the best time to hang a nestbox.^[27]

Observe its song. Both sexes of robins sing and they tend to sing year-round.^[28] They only stop singing in late summer when they are replacing their feathers and trying to avoid attention. It will usually sing on a hidden perch.^[29] The tempo and volume of the robin's singing varies, and no two verses are the same. When it is nervous, the robin's "ticking" calls are protracted into long, rapid series: "tick-ick-ick-ick-...", sounding like a watch being wound up. On nocturnal migration, however, the robin calls out a thin, hoarse "tsi".

• A robin's autumn and spring songs are audibly different. In autumn (i.e. when it has finished moulting), its song will be more sombre in tone than in spring, when it is more confident and powerful.^[30]
• You may wish to listen to a recording of its song so you have something to compare it with.
• Robins will usually start their song early in the morning, and be one of the last to stop in the evening.^[31]

Observe what they eat. European robins aren't that picky in their choice of food, but usually eat seeds, bird cake and mealworms.^[32] They also eat fruit, insects and other invertebrates.^[33]

• Robins don't eat food that is too large for them, such as dried peas, beans, rice, lentils, wheat or barley.^[34]

Look for aggression. Robins are known to be territorial birds, and will attack other birds in its patch. A typical dispute will look like male robins singing at each other and trying to get on a higher perch to show off their red breast. This may escalate to a fight, potentially causing injury or death.^[35]

Know the difference between a European robin and an American robin. The most obvious distinction is where they live. While European robins live in and around Europe, American robins usually live in North America, but can very rarely be spotted in the UK too.^[36]

• While both robins have red breasts, the American robin has a larger red patch, extending to its belly. Furthermore, the European robin has a brighter shade of red.
• An American robin is larger, about the size of a blue jay, while a European robin is about the size of a house sparrow.
• Both birds have different calls. A European robin's call is more sweet and high-pitched, whereas an American robin's call is more raspy and robust.^[37]
• An American robin's egg will be blue, while a European robin's egg will be white and freckled.
• American robins typically flock in groups, whereas European robins are usually more solitary.^[38]

Learn the difference between a scarlet robin and an European robin. The scarlet robin is found in Australia and various Pacific islands. It can be distinguished by the white patch above its bill. Female scarlet robins may also have a much redder breast than most robin species.^[39]

• Scarlet robins tend to be about 12-13.5 centimetres (about 4.7 to 5.3 inches) in length.^[40] This is slightly smaller than a European robin.

Educate yourself of the difference between European robins and rose robins. Rose robins are found in southeast Australia, not Europe. Rose robins have a pink breast, rather than an orange/red one. Rose robins also tend to be slimmer than most robins, as well as having a longer tail and shorter legs.^[41]

Learn the difference between a European robin and a stonechat. Both birds have a red breast, so can be commonly mistaken. Stonechats can be found across Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia, to the Pacific Ocean. Stonechats can be found near bodies of water or near the coast.^[42]

• Stonechats can be found year-round, but disperse more widely in winter.^[43]
• Stonechats are usually shorter than robins, approximating to be 12.5 cm (5 in). They also have a narrower wingspan of 18-21 cm (7-8.3 in).^[44]
• You are less likely to find a stonechat in urban areas.