Robin

When: Year round

Scientific name: Erithacus rubecula

Gaelic name: brù-dhearg

Length: 12cm - 14cm  Wing Span 20cm - 22cm  

Weight: 16g - 22g

Where: Frequent sightings in many environments from urban gardens to the peaceful woodland around Gartmorn Dam

When: Robins are seen all throughout the year due to their highly territorial nature and can be heard and seen at any time during the day.

Robins are easily recognised because of the adult's colourful red breast covering around a third of their body.

They will nest almost anywhere from on a car to inside of one. They are resident in the UK for the whole year while feeding on things like worms, seeds and insects.

Robins can get into a lot of disputes over territory. This starts with 2 males singing to each other, which sometimes leads to fighting that could result in an injury or even death!

Robins are associated with Christmas and the reason is said to be because postmen who worked in Victorian Britain would wear red colored uniforms which gave them the nicname "robins".  The robin on the card is supposed to represent the postmen.

There is a lot of folklore about the red breasted robin having to do with things such as good luck, compassion and death. For example, some people believed that if a robin were to die by your hand, then that hand would continue to shake thereafter; if you had destroyed the nest of a robin, then someone in your family would die within a year. Farmers were equally as unlucky, for if a farmer were to kill a robin then they should expect their barn to catch fire! However, there were also good myths associated, like if you wished to the first robin you had seen in a season then that wish would come true

If you would like to find out more about the robin, go to http://ww2.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/r/robin/

Photo Credit: Francis C Franklin, Wikimedia Commons