The robin is a bird that, once seen, it is impossible not to remember. Appearing in early spring, she attracts attention not only with her graceful figure with a bright spot on her chest, but also with loud and effervescent singing.
Appearance
This small bird from the thrush family is found in almost the entire European part of Russia, in northern Africa and in Europe. For its habitat, the robin chooses forest areas of various types. In our area appears at the very beginning of spring. Her singing sounds especially sonorous in the morning and evening dawn, for which the bird received another name - the robin.
Its dimensions are small - no more than 14 cm in length, wingspan - up to 20 cm. Weight ranges from 16 to 22 grams. Males, as usual, are somewhat larger than females. But the color of their plumage practically does not depend on gender. The upper part of the body is brownish-olive, the abdomen is covered with white feathers, and the plumage on the sides of the neck has a bluish tint. A bright orange spot on the chest is a distinctive feature that the robin bird possesses.
The description will be incomplete if you do not talk about the features of the robin's chants. Its trills differ from the singing of other birds in their extraordinary purity. Voiced whistling and chirping sounds are heard almost continuously. The robin is the first of the birds to start singing early in the morning and ends last, sometimes even at night you can hear its trills.
Behavioral Features
In our area, this bird appears in early spring, when the buds have not even swelled on the trees. The robin immediately makes itself felt with its bursting singing. The voice of the bird can be heard throughout the day - from early morning until sunset. Later, when the trees and bushes are covered with foliage, the iridescent trills of the robin will be heard only in the morning and evening hours.
These birds are not afraid of people at all. You can often see them near human habitation. In the cold season, they are even able to fly into the house or barn. However, the nature of the birds is rather quarrelsome in relation to their relatives. Robins are pugnacious, often kept alone. Males are especially aggressive in their behavior, guarding their territory. They are able to arrange fierce fights, as a result of which up to 10 percent of birds die.
Food
The robin is a bird whose diet consists of worms, spiders, beetles, centipedes, etc. She looks for all this food among the fallen leaves, on the ground, in the grass or in the moss. The bird usually runs quite fast, moving more often in jumps. Plant foods are currant berries, elderberry, mountain ash. Appearing closer to autumn, they become the main food for birds.
reproduction
Like basically everything migratory birds, the robin appears in our area in early spring. She immediately starts nesting. The role in finding a site for the nest is assigned to the male. He arrives a little earlier and, having chosen a suitable place, intensively protects him from other males until the arrival of the female. Nests up to 7 cm in diameter are arranged by robins in a variety of places: in old stumps, bushes, tree crevices. The female lays up to seven yellowish, rusty-speckled eggs. Hatching is done by both parents in turn for two weeks.
Chicks are born naked, covered with black skin, and stay in the nest for about 15 days. All this time, adult birds feed them, bringing food 300 times a day.
After leaving the nest, the chicks live for another two weeks near their parents, all this time mostly deftly running in the grass. At the slightest danger, parents warn the kids with a special signal, and they instantly hide in a nearby shelter. Chicks are very trusting and inquisitive. They can quite follow the mushroom picker passing by, accompanying him through the forest.
In one season, a robin can make 2 or even 3 clutches. Mortality among chicks is very high. But the main thing for them is to survive in the first year of life, then there is a chance to live a long time. The robin is a bird whose average lifespan rarely exceeds two years.
The robin is fairly easy to tame. These gullible birds are not so afraid of humans that they can safely approach very close distances. They are often kept in cages as pets.
The robin quickly gets used to such a life, however, it requires special care. Since the birds are very fond of swimming, they have to change the water twice a day. It is interesting to watch the bathing procedure, after which the robin gracefully puts its feathers in order. A bird at home sings no less beautifully than in freedom. In order for the songs to sound early in the spring, in the autumn-winter period it is necessary to add cockroaches or mealworms to food daily.
The robin brings invaluable benefits, like most birds, destroying a huge number of insects during the season. It is worth paying attention to robins, arranging feeders with berries and fruits. Ant eggs are a great delicacy for these birds.
The robin or robin is a small bird belonging to the Mukholov family. In the 20s of the last century, these representatives of the fauna were extremely popular in Europe. Birds received such recognition thanks to their singing.
Description of the robin
In the old days, the keepers of traditions believed that a robin bird that settled near the house brings happiness. She was believed to protect the dwelling from fires, lightning strikes and other troubles. The destruction of robin nests, if possible, was punished in accordance with the full severity of the law.
Most often, these birds were met by villagers and diggers, while digging the earth. Birds, not afraid of human society, calmly waited until the earth was dug up. When the man stepped aside, the robin was in a hurry to feast on freshly dug worms and larvae.
Appearance
The robin is a small bird of the passerine order, formerly classified in the order of thrushes. On the this moment The robin belongs to the flycatcher family. Males and females of the species are similar in coloration. They have an orange breast with greyish feathers around the chest and muzzle. On the abdomen, the plumage is whitish with brown patches. The main part of the back is covered with gray-brown feathers.
The size of the bird ranges from 12.5 to 14.0 cm in length. Legs and feet are brown. The beak and eyes of the robin are black. The eyes are quite large, which allows the bird to accurately navigate in dense thickets of bushes. The plumage of immature individuals is covered with brown and white spots. Only over time, orange and reddish hues appear on their body.
Robins are found throughout Europe, from the East to Western Siberia and south to North Africa. Representatives of these latitudes are considered inactive, unlike the inhabitants of the Far North, who annually migrate in search of a warmer climate.
Character and lifestyle
As a rule, these birds sing in the spring, during the breeding season, which is why they are often confused with nightingales. But, among the nightingales, only males sing, while in the concerts of robins, individuals of both sexes participate. Night singing of urban robins occurs in places that are filled with noise during the day. Therefore, it seems that at night they sing much louder. This effect is created due to the silence of the sleeping nature at night, as a result of which their messages can spread through environment more clearly.
Yes, those are the messages. With their singing in various tonalities, females inform males of their readiness for breeding, and males announce the boundaries of their territories. In winter, unlike in summer, the songs take on more mournful notes. Females move a short distance from their summer habitat to a neighboring area that is more suitable for winter feeding. Males do not leave the occupied territory.
It is interesting! In nature, there are more males than female robins. Therefore, most men are left without a partner. Single birds less zealously, unlike their married relatives, guard the territory. Some, not having their own home at all, gather in groups for an overnight stay or stay overnight with other, more hospitable single males.
They are active at night during the hunting period for insects, provided there is bright moonlight or artificial lighting. It is well known that British and Irish robins are relatively unafraid of humans and like to get close, especially when digging up the soil. In these countries, birds are not touched.
In the countries of Continental Europe, on the contrary, they, like most small birds, were hunted. Their attitude was clearly distrustful.
Male robins are seen in aggressive territorial behavior. Especially family members. They attack other males, protecting the borders of their territories. There have even been cases of attacks on other small birds without apparent provocation. Deaths from internal competition account for about 10% of cases among these birds.
How long does a robin live
Due to the high mortality in the first year after birth, the average life expectancy of the robin is 1.1 years. However, individuals that have exceeded this period can count on a long life. Robin's longevity wild nature was registered at the age of 12.
It is interesting! Robins living in favorable artificial or domestic conditions can live even longer. The main condition is proper care.
Inappropriate weather conditions also lead to high mortality. Simply, some birds die, unable to withstand the cold and lack of food, provoked by low temperatures.
Range, habitats
The robin is found in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria. They can also be found on the islands of the Atlantic Ocean, further west of the Azores and Madeira. They were not met except in Iceland. In the southeast, their distribution reaches the Caucasus Range. The British robin most of the population remains to winter in their habitats.
But a certain minority, usually females, migrate to southern Europe and Spain in winter. The Scandinavian and Russian Robins migrate to the UK and Western Europe to escape the harsh winters of their home regions. Robin prefers spruce forests for nest building in northern Europe, contrasting with parks and gardens in the British Isles.
Attempts to introduce these birds to Australia and New Zealand in the late 19th century were unsuccessful. They were released in Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin. Unfortunately, the species did not take root in these lands. There was a similar outcome in North America when the birds were stopped after release in Long Island, New York in 1852, Oregon in 1889-92, and the Saanich Peninsula in British Columbia in 1908-10.
Robin's diet
The basis of nutrition is various invertebrates, insects. Likes to eat robin and earthworms with berries and fruits.
Although these products enter the menu only in the summer-autumn period. Invertebrate living creatures of a bird are most often picked up from the ground. They can even eat a snail despite their small size. Robins only seem to be rounded, pot-bellied birds. In fact, their feather does not fit snugly to the body, creating a certain fluffiness and volume of the cover.
It is interesting! In the autumn-winter period, with the advent of cold weather, robins go in search of a plant source of food. They feed on all kinds of seeds, fly to bird feeders in order to eat grains and crumbs of bread. You can also meet them near non-freezing reservoirs.
In shallow water, birds can feast on living creatures, so they walk on water without fear. The robin's lack of fear of man makes it possible for her to take advantage of his labors at any time. As often as diggers, this bird accompanies bears and wild pigs in the forest, which tend to dig the ground. Often such trips are organized together with the chicks in order to show them firsthand how to get food.
Reproduction and offspring
Robin birds raise offspring twice a year. This happens in spring and summer, the first time - at the end of May, the second - in July. They have good parental instinct. And if one of the broods was lost for any reason, they can start reproducing in August.
It is very interesting to meet future parents. Unlike many other species of animals, the female takes the initiative. She flies to the territory of the male and begins to sing to him, spreading her wings wide. The male behaves aggressively, guarding the boundaries of the territory. He begins to make characteristic, frightening sounds, sway intimidatingly, after which the female, as if in fright and duty, shaking her tail, retreats to a neighboring tree or bush. This courtship lasts about 3-4 days.
Every day, the cunning bride tries to show her helplessness by bowing her head to her chosen one. After that, begging and infantilism most often bear fruit.
For laying eggs, the female begins to build a nest. It is constructed from branches, roots, grass and paper, with a bottom firmly formed from a layer of mud. And is placed on the lowlands of trees, bushes, earth or building ledges, in a well-protected place. Four to six bluish-green eggs are incubated by the female for 12-14 days. The male at this time obtains food for the offspring, which at the age of 14-16 days old is already able to fly.
natural enemies
Owls prey on robins and small falcons. Ermines, weasels, martens and even ferrets often destroy their nests located low above the ground to feast on chicks or eggs. Despite their own militancy, they are quickly tamed by humans. Already after a couple of weeks of friendly communication, supported by feeding, the bird can sit on the shoulder or in the hand of its upright comrade.
Population and species status
The total population of the robin ranges from 137-333 million individuals. Moreover, more than 80% live in the territories of European countries.
Robins - looking at the photo, it can be seen that these are small songbirds, which are also known as "robins", their sonorous voice is repeatedly sung in poetry. Although many have not heard this name, nevertheless, this is the scientific "name of the bird."
Types of robins
Today, scientists have counted in nature only three varieties these birds:
It should be noted that only the last two species are described in detail, as for the black-throated robin, there is very little information about it.
The appearance of the robins
These songbirds are very modest in size. Their body length is from 15 to 16 centimeters. The mass of an adult robin: 16-18 grams. These birds have a small and thin beak, miniature, but very tenacious, paws. The plumage of the robins is loose and rather soft, the feathers do not fit tightly to the body. Such a structure of the feather cover “fills” the bird, but in fact it is smaller than it seems because of its fur coat.
The color of the plumage depends on the species: in the common robin, the wings, tail and back are olive-gray, the breast and abdominal region are light gray, but the chest, throat and frontal part have a bright orange tint; as for the Japanese robin, the upper body it is reddish, the lower part of the body is bluish-gray. It is possible to distinguish females from male robins only by a brighter spot on the chest (which is inherent in males).
Where do robins live?
The common robin () lives in Europe, in addition, it lives in the Caucasus, Western Siberia, Asia Minor, and Northwest Africa. The Japanese species of robin lives in China and Japan. Southern populations lead a sedentary lifestyle, the northern ones make seasonal migrations to warmer climes.
The robin bird is distinguished by an individual approach to life, if I can say so about birds, this is expressed in everything: robins live alone, they even fly alone for wintering. These little birds fiercely protect their territory from other people's encroachments. Males define their territory, including by issuing voice "notifications" that "the place is taken."
The birds got their name robin for their loud singing in the morning: their trills are heard especially strongly at sunrise and sunset, and in general robins sing all day.
Listen to the robin's voice
http://animalreader.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Golosa-ptic-Zaryankamuzofon.com_.mp3What do robin birds eat?
These birds feed on insects, and their menu is supplemented by larvae, small molluscs, centipedes, spiders, bedbugs, and beetles. The robin is not averse to eating berries, as well as their seeds.
Reproduction of robins
Robin eggs are laid twice a year. In laying from 5 to 7 eggs. Incubation of future chicks does not last long - about 13 - 14 days. After birth, the first 12 days, the babies sit in the nest, their parents (both male and female) feed them. On the 13th day, the chicks make their first “exits” from the nest, however, they keep at a close distance.
The robin (robin) is the most numerous bird in the thrush family. This big-eyed, curious creature with a reddish chest must have met you in the forests, parks and gardens, where it has settled since the beginning of April. And it is impossible to forget her trills, similar to bells, even having heard only once.
The robin bird is popularly considered a close relative of the nightingale, thanks to its amazing song, similar to a silver bell. Early morning begins with these sonorous iridescent chants and ends a long, busy day at sunset. Therefore, they called the wonderful bird a robin.
But sometimes her gentle tunes are heard in the transparent summer twilight, then they seem especially magical.
The robin is a migratory bird
In March - April, as soon as thawed patches appear, along with spring streams, the song of the robin begins to ring. This means that the male flew in to find a place for nesting: in dense bushes, under the roots of trees, and sometimes in hollows. The caring head of the family protects his territory, notifying by singing that the site is occupied, and if necessary, he uses force. Later, a female flies to the conquered place and the construction of the nest begins.
How a nest is built
The robin is a bird that is not afraid of the proximity of human dwellings. Therefore, in May, her neat nests, similar to small wicker baskets, with five or six pale pink, brown-speckled testicles can also be found in dense raspberry bushes in her own garden. The main thing is not to touch them, so as not to frighten away the diligent parents, who take turns hatching future offspring.
The appearance of offspring
In two weeks, tiny naked chicks will appear in the clutch, which after only 14 days, having not even learned to fly, will leave the nest. The babies will jump in the grass, freezing and puffing up at the danger, about which they will be warned by their parents, who vigilantly guard their brood and continue to feed it.
But the robin is a bird that makes two clutches per season, and therefore, as soon as the breast of the grown chicks becomes bright, they will be ordered to enter the parental territory. For a male robin, an orange breast is a sign of a rival.
No wonder this amazing songbird is so loved to be kept in the house. Already on the second day after the capture, the robin begins to sing. This is a rather unpretentious bird. But the main features of her character can be considered quarrelsome and pugnacious. Therefore, it is not worth keeping a robin in a common cage with other birds. But alone, like most choristers, it will delight you with its marvelous trills all year round.
Do not forget that the robin is a bird that loves to swim. Therefore, change her water at least twice a day. Feed your pets insects and special mixtures of seeds and grains. Domestic birds should be pampered with berries (best of all, elderberry).
It should be said that the robin gets used to the person feeding it very quickly and willingly takes food from the hands.
The robin bird, whose photo you see in the article, will surely become your pet, which even in the middle of winter brings a breath of spring and warmth into the house.
The robin bird or robin is a beautiful small bird, once seen in early spring, it will be very easy to remember it. She is unique and special. The singing of the robin is unique, and her appearance bewitches. The robin is a member of the thrush family and lives throughout Russian Federation as well as in Europe and Africa. She usually lives in the forest. The bird sings its songs especially beautifully at dawn, for which it bears another name - the robin bird.
The size of the bird is small, only about 14 centimeters, the span of bird wings reaches 20 centimeters. The weight of the robin is from 15 to 22 grams. Females, as usual, are slightly smaller than males.
If we talk about the color of feathers, it has no connection with the sex of the individual. The top of the body is a reddish-olive shade, the bottom is white. The neck of the bird is framed on the sides with bluish feathers. hallmark robins is a contrasting orange spot on the breast.
Without a story about the songs of the robin, the description of the bird will not be complete enough. Her songs are extraordinary, pure. She is loud chirps and whistles almost non-stop. Trills can be heard in the early morning, she is one of the first to sing. The concert ends at the evening dawn, and sometimes even at night. It is not for nothing that in a famous song the author dedicated the words to this particular singing: “Robins, having heard a voice ...”
Character and behavior
The bird appears in early spring, even before the buds appear on the trees. She immediately reminds of herself with her trills. Songs are heard all day from sunrise to sunset. As time passes, when the first leaves appear on the branches of trees, the robin will begin to sing only in the morning and evening.
This bird is friends with a person and is not afraid of him at all, very often robins live right next to a residential building and, when cold weather sets in, they can even fly inside. As for the neighborhood of a bird with its fellows, the situation is different here. Robin is a solitary bird that fiercely defends its nest. The male can be incredibly aggressive towards relatives. When fighting to protect their homes, birds can fight so fiercely that up to ten percent of the birds die in a conflict.
Gallery: robin bird or robin (25 photos)
Robin bird food
The basis of the robin's diet is made up of insects, worms and centipedes. She finds food on the ground, tearing leaves and grass. The robin moves rather quickly, mostly jumping on the ground. Also a bird can eat berries:
- currant;
- blackberry;
- elder;
- Rowan.
In autumn, it is the berries that form the basis of the robin's nutrition.
reproduction
The robin appears with us only in spring, as, indeed, do all migratory birds. As soon as the robin arrives in our area, it immediately starts building its nest. A site for future housing, as a rule, is looking for a male. He arrives in advance, and having decided on the place, protects it from other males until his female arrives.
The female builds a small nest about seven centimeters in diameter. The female robin lays about seven eggs, which are covered with rusty dots. Bird eggs hatch for about two weeks. They do it both, alternately changing.
When the eggs hatch, the chicks are naked and black-skinned. Newborn cubs sit in the nest for another fifteen days from birth. Parents constantly feed the chicks. Feeding occurs about three hundred times a day.
Grown up chicks, leaving the nest, live for a couple of weeks not far from their parents and in most cases they only run on the ground. When danger appears, adult birds signal the babies, and they immediately run to a secluded place. Robin chicks are very naive and inquisitive. They can easily follow a person walking through the forest.
The robin or robin lays eggs 2-3 times per season. But despite this, the offspring often die. The most important task for the chicks is survival in the first year, then a strong and experienced bird will live for a sufficient time. But, it is worth saying that the average life expectancy of a bird does not exceed two years.
Keeping a robin at home as a pet
This bird very easy to tame. This naive bird has no fear of a person and can fly up to him at a very close distance. Therefore, it has become fashionable to keep this beautiful songbird at home.
The robin is quickly mastered, but still requires special attention and care. This little bird is very fond of water procedures, so it is necessary to install a small container of water in the cage, which needs to be changed very often. Domestic bird sings no worse than wild. If the owner wants to hear the trills early, he should add insect birds to the diet.
In nature, the robin performs a much-needed mission of destroying swarms of insects that devour crops, ruin trees, and so on.
Proper care and creation necessary conditions will help the owner of the robin to enjoy the acquisition, and the bird itself will respond with gratitude and a beautiful song.
Interesting facts about the robin or robin
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