Gardening expert Monty Don has shared essential advice for Brits hoping to attract robins to their gardens this November, as the cold weather poses a serious threat to the beloved red-breasted birds.
Robins are among Britain's most cherished garden visitors, known for their cheerful chirps and distinctive hopping presence. While these fiercely territorial birds are actually on the increase in the UK, with the population growing by 45 percent since the 1970s, they still face significant dangers during winter.
Why Winter Feeding Matters
During cold nights, robins can lose up to 10 percent of their body weight just to stay warm. If they cannot quickly replenish these fat reserves, the consequences can be fatal, making supplementary feeding more important than ever. Scraps left on bird tables can serve as a lifeline during the colder months, and robins will also collect any scraps that fall to the ground from hanging fat-balls.
In his blog, Monty Don advises: "I buy dried mealworms too which robins, tits and wrens gobble up greedily. If in doubt sunflower seeds and fat-balls - preferably hanging so tits can land on them without being bullied away by more aggressive birds - are invariably popular."
Recommended Foods and Feeding Tips
Monty also warns that robins are not the only birds gardeners should consider as the weather turns colder. He explains that while birds will eagerly feed on natural seeds and berries in the garden, these supplies are quickly depleted, so supplementing them helps the birds and provides a chance to observe their behaviour.
He recommends providing calorific foods, noting: "Obviously it helps for the food to be as calorific as possible and seeds, nuts and fat are best of all. Left-over pastry, bread and rice always get eaten fast and fruit is good, especially for blackbirds and thrushes."
Grated cheese and cooked potatoes are also popular choices, but Monty advises avoiding anything salty such as crisps, salted peanuts or bacon. To prevent pigeons and starlings from taking all the food, he suggests finding an old log with cracks and crevices and pouring seed over it, allowing smaller birds to extract the seeds from fissures that larger birds cannot reach.
Consistency and Water Supply
Monty stresses that anyone who starts feeding garden birds must continue to do so regularly. He warns: "The birds use up precious energy in coming to your bird table which is then wasted if it is bare." He also reminds gardeners to always provide a fresh supply of water for the birds, especially during freezing weather.
