[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]You've only got to look at the number of Christmas cards depicting robins to realise that the popularity of this little bird is as strong as ever. Fortunately there's plenty of them about too. In a poll of UK Safari readers 95 per cent said they had a robin regularly visiting their garden.
Late December is the time of year when male and female robins start to pair up. Both sexes look very similar, and this can cause some confusion - even amongst the robins!
An unmated male, singing in his territory, is aggressive towards any intruding robin, even if it's a female trying to win his affections. If the intruder is another male, the resident robin will either retreat or see off the trespasser. If it is a female seeking a mate, she has to keep on approaching the male until eventually she is accepted. This can take several hours! It's not easy being a robin.
Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:49 am
