December 10, 2025 • 13 mins
As the festive season unfolds, one familiar face keeps appearing – the little robin. But behind its cheerful presence, is there more to this charming bird’s story?
National Trust ranger Rosie Holdsworth chats to garden wildlife specialist Sean McMenemy about the remarkable life of robins, revealing their fascinating year-round behaviour and why this beloved bird deserves to be celebrated all year long.
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Production
Presenter: Rosie Holdsworth
Producer: Pippa Tilbury-Harris
Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez
Contributor: Sean McMenemy
Discover more
You can read Sean’s garden wildlife blog here: Sean McMenemy Wildlife Blog
Follow us on our @wildtalesnt Instagram account
If you’d like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SEAN MCMENEMY (00:36):
The wholesome description for Robin is perhaps
slightly misguided and feistycould well be a better
description.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (00:48):
It's that wonderful time of year again.
The days are short, the air iscrisp and the world seems to
glow with celebration and atouch of magic. And if you look
around you'll notice one littlebird popping up everywhere.
From wrapping paper to cosyChristmas jumpers, the Robin has
become the true emblem offestive cheer.
But is there more to a Robinthan just being a Christmas
(01:11):
mascot?
I'm Ranger Rosie Holdsworth andwelcome to the wild tale of why
a Robin is not just forChristmas.
(01:37):
The Robins connection toChristmas goes all the way back
to the Victorian era, around the1840s, when sending Christmas
cards first became popular.
At the time, postmen wore brightred uniforms and were
affectionately nicknamed Robinson red breasts. Artists soon
picked up on this and beganillustrating the birds on the
(01:57):
cards as a playful nod to thepostman who delivered them.
The charming image caught onquickly and before long, Robins
featured on all sorts of festiveitems, cementing their place as
a true Christmas symbol.
But what is it about Robinsthat's meant they've stayed as
such a Christmas favourite forso long?
SEAN MCMENEMY (02:23):
The thing with Robins is they're kind of
omnipresent.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (02:26):
Garden wildlife expert and enthusiast
Sean McMenemy.
SEAN MCMENEMY (02:30):
We're blessed that they are a bird that stays
with us all year round. They'renon-migratory, so if they're in
the garden, they'll stay in yourgarden all year.
And they'll sing through winteras well, which is very unusual
for garden birds.
Most birds really are justsinging to sort of set a
territory and attract mates inthe springtime, and then as
summer goes on, there's less andless bird song.
(02:51):
And during wintertime, birdsthen will join into mixed flocks
and fly over considerabledistances as well as the
migratory ones.
So the Robin does stand out as adifferent species. And so, you
know, there's just this lightsong and pretty colours at an
otherwise grey, miserable timeof year.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (03:14):
It's that image that shines through all
the festive decorations andChristmas adverts this time of
year. The bright red chest, thesweet little face, the cheerful
hops across the frosted grass.You can't help but smile at a
Robin.
But winter itself is a quietseason for our interaction with
nature. We don't linger in thegarden and our walks or commutes
(03:36):
are often filled more with awhisper of wind or the patter of
raindrops.
Yet when you hear a Robin'ssong, clear and bright, it's
hard not to pay attention andenjoy it.
SEAN MCMENEMY (03:50):
Blackbirds, thrushes, nightingales are all
renowned as our songbirds butnever underestimate a Robin!
They've got a rich melodic voiceit's just such a cheerful song
that they sing and the morephrases and the more notes that
they can build into their songthe more dominant the bird can
(04:10):
appear and also maintain andattract its mate as well.
What they'll also do is they'vegot this sort of tick sound
which is a sort of slightirritation so it's "feed me a
worm! feed me a worm!" andthey've also got a scratchy sort
of alarm call as well.
If you're outside gardeningRobins will follow us around and
(04:30):
once they become familiar withyou they'll come quite close and
they can actually recognizedifferent individuals within a
family as well so they will knowwho's who's friendly who does
the gardening and who's likelyto feed them so they've got a
number of different calls.
Singing to say, "hey, this is mygarden, clear off!" you know, "
hey, this is my garden, isn't itamazing!" you know, "come and
(04:51):
marry me!"
But also they've got differentvoices to speak to the people in
the garden as well. So they'lltalk to us.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (04:58):
And Robin's love our gardens, feasting on
our nuisance insects, markingout their territories and
nesting in unexpected placeslike your well-worn welly boot.
Knowing that they recognise usand perhaps even exchange a few
conversational notes as we goabout our day only adds to their
charm.
But while it's easy to pictureourselves in a gentle Disney
(05:20):
scene chatting side by side withfeathered companions among the
roses, do Robins see us the sameway?
SEAN MCMENEMY (05:27):
This little Robin, it follows me around the
garden, it absolutely loves meand really what it's doing is
it's just waiting for a pig tocome along because that's really
who helps it out the most youknow.
So Robins historically followthe wild boars through the
woodland. Pigs are foragers sothey're constantly digging and
scratching and they're lookingfor roots and tubers which of
(05:49):
course turns out lots and lotsof invertebrates and worms and
goodies for Robins.
I always liken the fact that ifwe're out there with a trowel in
the garden, rootling around inthe dirt, the Robin just sees us
as a pig.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (06:05):
So, although their feelings towards us are
less fairytale scene and morepractical, and perhaps not quite
as flattering as we firstimagined, the Robin's wholesome
reputation still seems to holdup. But could there be a sharper
edge? a side to Robins wehaven't yet seen?
SEAN MCMENEMY (06:21):
The wholesome description for a Robin is
perhaps slightly misguided andfeisty could well be a better
description!
They are notoriously aggressivebirds because, again, holding
(06:43):
territory and they will fight tothe death.
It's a very rare event, butbecause of that, they've got
some very strict rules when itcomes to sort of challenging one
another.
So first off is is the song,then after that another Robin
challenging it will come in andthen they puff themselves up the
(07:05):
red chest is stuck out andthey'll strut and they'll sit on
a high branch and they'll say "look how big I am! Look how
tough I am!" while singing.
And if that still doesn't deteranother bird they'll then sort
of do these chest bumps they'lljump up at each other and bump
their chests to sort of say "Canyou see how powerful I am?"
(07:25):
You know, and only if thatfails, they'll then get to
grips.
The fights are ferocious and aredangerous, which is why they
have all of these steps leadingup to it. So it really is a last
resort.
No one comes out of a fight, youknow, unscathed, shall we say,
to the point where I found somefighting Robins a number of
(07:46):
years ago and I went across andI actually picked them up in my
hand because they were so set onviolence to one another that
they didn't even notice me.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (07:59):
When we picture such sheer aggression
and unbridled rage, our mindstend to go to a bull, not a
Robin. It's hard to imaginesomething so small being quite
so fierce.
SEAN MCMENEMY (08:12):
Bulls are probably less violent than
Robins, if I think about it.Traditionally, red will set a
bull off, you know, and it willmake it charge.
Well, exactly the same withRobins but one of the defense
systems of it is when the chicksdo leave the nest they're all
they don't have the red breastof the adults they're like a
(08:32):
mottled brown so they're quiteplain looking so the parents
don't object to them and drivethem out before they're ready.
But it's not just a Robin thatwill set them off if you put a
red coat out or a red flowerthere's a rosy apple if they see
a reflection of themselves in awindow it will be fighting it.
It's burning through an enormousamount of energy. And so, you
(08:54):
know, if you do ever see thathappening, it's just remove
whatever it is that's triggeringthat behaviour in a Robin
because it's really detrimental.So it won't harm itself in the
sense of cuts and bruises, butit will completely exhaust
itself.
They're incredibly industriousbirds, but they're small, frail,
(09:16):
and they're with us all yearround. And as a result of that,
they do have relatively shortlives, but they compensate by
the fact that they are really,really busy breeders. So they're
one of the first birds to breedin the country.
You can find Robins on a nest,you know, late January, February
time if the weather's good. Andthey'll have two, three, even
(09:39):
potentially four broods duringthe course of a year.
So short lives, but absolutelywonderful lives because they
make the most of it.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (09:50):
As the cosy indoor months settle in you
might find yourself wonderinghow to help your Robin friends
thrive. So what's the best wayto ensure that little red bird
keeps happily hopping aroundyour garden?
SEAN MCMENEMY (10:05):
Quite often you'll see Robins flapping away
and trying to land on you knowthe tube type bird seed feeders.
That's a distressed hungryRobin.
Because they're natural groundfeeders, they've got little thin
legs, if you look closely,little thin toes, and they
haven't got the perching clawsthat the tree dwellers, the
finches and the tits have.
(10:26):
And so, you know, they try toclasp these feeders and then
most of the time they've got thewings flapping away and they'll
grab a seed and they'll slideoff and go away.
So every time you put the birdfeeder out, if you have got
Robins, is just scatter a fewseeds on the ground for it
rather than in a hanging feeder.
And even better still is if youcan get some mealworms, dried
mealworms or live mealworms,because they are through and
(10:49):
through insectivores.
If you can afford some time justto stop and think about what
it's doing and why it's doingit, when it's hopping around and
following you about the garden,just watch it and just see.
And it's just sharing theirworld occasionally, which is
just so lovely and brings joy.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (11:23):
Although the Robin has inadvertently become
the spirit of Christmas, andit's easy to see why, with that
bright red breast and thecheerful song spreading a little
light even on the greyest ofwinter days.
But as we've discovered, there'sfar more to this small garden
companion than festivedecorations and Christmas cards.
Robins are bold, sometimesfiercely so, and they're with us
(11:47):
all year round. So perhaps wecan appreciate the Robin for
longer than the festive season.Because a Robin is not just for
Christmas.
(12:10):
Thanks for joining me on thiswild tale. To hear more
episodes, follow us on yourfavourite podcast app. And you
can also find us on Instagram,@wildtalesNT. See you next time
and have a lovely Christmas.
The wholesome description for Robin is perhaps
slightly misguided and feistycould well be a better
description.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (00:48):
It's that wonderful time of year again.
The days are short, the air iscrisp and the world seems to
glow with celebration and atouch of magic. And if you look
around you'll notice one littlebird popping up everywhere.
From wrapping paper to cosyChristmas jumpers, the Robin has
become the true emblem offestive cheer.
But is there more to a Robinthan just being a Christmas
(01:11):
mascot?
I'm Ranger Rosie Holdsworth andwelcome to the wild tale of why
a Robin is not just forChristmas.
(01:37):
The Robins connection toChristmas goes all the way back
to the Victorian era, around the1840s, when sending Christmas
cards first became popular.
At the time, postmen wore brightred uniforms and were
affectionately nicknamed Robinson red breasts. Artists soon
picked up on this and beganillustrating the birds on the
(01:57):
cards as a playful nod to thepostman who delivered them.
The charming image caught onquickly and before long, Robins
featured on all sorts of festiveitems, cementing their place as
a true Christmas symbol.
But what is it about Robinsthat's meant they've stayed as
such a Christmas favourite forso long?
SEAN MCMENEMY (02:23):
The thing with Robins is they're kind of
omnipresent.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (02:26):
Garden wildlife expert and enthusiast
Sean McMenemy.
SEAN MCMENEMY (02:30):
We're blessed that they are a bird that stays
with us all year round. They'renon-migratory, so if they're in
the garden, they'll stay in yourgarden all year.
And they'll sing through winteras well, which is very unusual
for garden birds.
Most birds really are justsinging to sort of set a
territory and attract mates inthe springtime, and then as
summer goes on, there's less andless bird song.
(02:51):
And during wintertime, birdsthen will join into mixed flocks
and fly over considerabledistances as well as the
migratory ones.
So the Robin does stand out as adifferent species. And so, you
know, there's just this lightsong and pretty colours at an
otherwise grey, miserable timeof year.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (03:14):
It's that image that shines through all
the festive decorations andChristmas adverts this time of
year. The bright red chest, thesweet little face, the cheerful
hops across the frosted grass.You can't help but smile at a
Robin.
But winter itself is a quietseason for our interaction with
nature. We don't linger in thegarden and our walks or commutes
(03:36):
are often filled more with awhisper of wind or the patter of
raindrops.
Yet when you hear a Robin'ssong, clear and bright, it's
hard not to pay attention andenjoy it.
SEAN MCMENEMY (03:50):
Blackbirds, thrushes, nightingales are all
renowned as our songbirds butnever underestimate a Robin!
They've got a rich melodic voiceit's just such a cheerful song
that they sing and the morephrases and the more notes that
they can build into their songthe more dominant the bird can
(04:10):
appear and also maintain andattract its mate as well.
What they'll also do is they'vegot this sort of tick sound
which is a sort of slightirritation so it's "feed me a
worm! feed me a worm!" andthey've also got a scratchy sort
of alarm call as well.
If you're outside gardeningRobins will follow us around and
(04:30):
once they become familiar withyou they'll come quite close and
they can actually recognizedifferent individuals within a
family as well so they will knowwho's who's friendly who does
the gardening and who's likelyto feed them so they've got a
number of different calls.
Singing to say, "hey, this is mygarden, clear off!" you know, "
hey, this is my garden, isn't itamazing!" you know, "come and
(04:51):
marry me!"
But also they've got differentvoices to speak to the people in
the garden as well. So they'lltalk to us.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (04:58):
And Robin's love our gardens, feasting on
our nuisance insects, markingout their territories and
nesting in unexpected placeslike your well-worn welly boot.
Knowing that they recognise usand perhaps even exchange a few
conversational notes as we goabout our day only adds to their
charm.
But while it's easy to pictureourselves in a gentle Disney
(05:20):
scene chatting side by side withfeathered companions among the
roses, do Robins see us the sameway?
SEAN MCMENEMY (05:27):
This little Robin, it follows me around the
garden, it absolutely loves meand really what it's doing is
it's just waiting for a pig tocome along because that's really
who helps it out the most youknow.
So Robins historically followthe wild boars through the
woodland. Pigs are foragers sothey're constantly digging and
scratching and they're lookingfor roots and tubers which of
(05:49):
course turns out lots and lotsof invertebrates and worms and
goodies for Robins.
I always liken the fact that ifwe're out there with a trowel in
the garden, rootling around inthe dirt, the Robin just sees us
as a pig.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (06:05):
So, although their feelings towards us are
less fairytale scene and morepractical, and perhaps not quite
as flattering as we firstimagined, the Robin's wholesome
reputation still seems to holdup. But could there be a sharper
edge? a side to Robins wehaven't yet seen?
SEAN MCMENEMY (06:21):
The wholesome description for a Robin is
perhaps slightly misguided andfeisty could well be a better
description!
They are notoriously aggressivebirds because, again, holding
(06:43):
territory and they will fight tothe death.
It's a very rare event, butbecause of that, they've got
some very strict rules when itcomes to sort of challenging one
another.
So first off is is the song,then after that another Robin
challenging it will come in andthen they puff themselves up the
(07:05):
red chest is stuck out andthey'll strut and they'll sit on
a high branch and they'll say "look how big I am! Look how
tough I am!" while singing.
And if that still doesn't deteranother bird they'll then sort
of do these chest bumps they'lljump up at each other and bump
their chests to sort of say "Canyou see how powerful I am?"
(07:25):
You know, and only if thatfails, they'll then get to
grips.
The fights are ferocious and aredangerous, which is why they
have all of these steps leadingup to it. So it really is a last
resort.
No one comes out of a fight, youknow, unscathed, shall we say,
to the point where I found somefighting Robins a number of
(07:46):
years ago and I went across andI actually picked them up in my
hand because they were so set onviolence to one another that
they didn't even notice me.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (07:59):
When we picture such sheer aggression
and unbridled rage, our mindstend to go to a bull, not a
Robin. It's hard to imaginesomething so small being quite
so fierce.
SEAN MCMENEMY (08:12):
Bulls are probably less violent than
Robins, if I think about it.Traditionally, red will set a
bull off, you know, and it willmake it charge.
Well, exactly the same withRobins but one of the defense
systems of it is when the chicksdo leave the nest they're all
they don't have the red breastof the adults they're like a
(08:32):
mottled brown so they're quiteplain looking so the parents
don't object to them and drivethem out before they're ready.
But it's not just a Robin thatwill set them off if you put a
red coat out or a red flowerthere's a rosy apple if they see
a reflection of themselves in awindow it will be fighting it.
It's burning through an enormousamount of energy. And so, you
(08:54):
know, if you do ever see thathappening, it's just remove
whatever it is that's triggeringthat behaviour in a Robin
because it's really detrimental.So it won't harm itself in the
sense of cuts and bruises, butit will completely exhaust
itself.
They're incredibly industriousbirds, but they're small, frail,
(09:16):
and they're with us all yearround. And as a result of that,
they do have relatively shortlives, but they compensate by
the fact that they are really,really busy breeders. So they're
one of the first birds to breedin the country.
You can find Robins on a nest,you know, late January, February
time if the weather's good. Andthey'll have two, three, even
(09:39):
potentially four broods duringthe course of a year.
So short lives, but absolutelywonderful lives because they
make the most of it.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (09:50):
As the cosy indoor months settle in you
might find yourself wonderinghow to help your Robin friends
thrive. So what's the best wayto ensure that little red bird
keeps happily hopping aroundyour garden?
SEAN MCMENEMY (10:05):
Quite often you'll see Robins flapping away
and trying to land on you knowthe tube type bird seed feeders.
That's a distressed hungryRobin.
Because they're natural groundfeeders, they've got little thin
legs, if you look closely,little thin toes, and they
haven't got the perching clawsthat the tree dwellers, the
finches and the tits have.
(10:26):
And so, you know, they try toclasp these feeders and then
most of the time they've got thewings flapping away and they'll
grab a seed and they'll slideoff and go away.
So every time you put the birdfeeder out, if you have got
Robins, is just scatter a fewseeds on the ground for it
rather than in a hanging feeder.
And even better still is if youcan get some mealworms, dried
mealworms or live mealworms,because they are through and
(10:49):
through insectivores.
If you can afford some time justto stop and think about what
it's doing and why it's doingit, when it's hopping around and
following you about the garden,just watch it and just see.
And it's just sharing theirworld occasionally, which is
just so lovely and brings joy.
ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (11:23):
Although the Robin has inadvertently become
the spirit of Christmas, andit's easy to see why, with that
bright red breast and thecheerful song spreading a little
light even on the greyest ofwinter days.
But as we've discovered, there'sfar more to this small garden
companion than festivedecorations and Christmas cards.
Robins are bold, sometimesfiercely so, and they're with us
(11:47):
all year round. So perhaps wecan appreciate the Robin for
longer than the festive season.Because a Robin is not just for
Christmas.
(12:10):
Thanks for joining me on thiswild tale. To hear more
episodes, follow us on yourfavourite podcast app. And you
can also find us on Instagram,@wildtalesNT. See you next time
and have a lovely Christmas.
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