Birds of Ireland: Robin

Robin (Spideóg/erithacus rubecula) on perch

• Robin (Spideóg/Erithacus rubecula)
• 13-14cm in length with a wingspan of 21cm

Robins can be seen here all year round and are a common breeding species.

Their habitat is farmland, gardens, and woodland across the country.

Adults have a bright red-orange breast, grey forehead, side of the neck and upper breast, with a white belly and warm brown upperparts.

They stand upright and have a round appearance. 

Robins.

Young birds just of of the nest do not have a red breast but instead are scaled light and dark brown with buff spots and streaks on their back and wings. 

In flight, robins fly fast and straight. 

A robin's call is a loud, thin ptic, usually repeated several times, often out of sight. 

Robins sing all year round but are at their loudest during spring, when their melodious twittering is often performed from a fence post or prominent bush. 

Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide by Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody

Featured in Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide, (Gill Books) by Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody. 

Jim Wilson is a wildlife writer, broadcaster, tour leader, and former chairman of BirdWatch Ireland. He has been involved in the study and conservation of birds in Ireland for more than 45 years, contributing to several major surveys and international projects.

Mark Carmody is an award-winning wildlife photographer, has a PhD in biochemistry and works as a European patent attorney.