Instant Genius - Robins, with Helen Wilson

Episode Date: November 28, 2022

Christmas is just around the corner, and what bird is more associated with the festive season than the robin? In this episode, we chat to Helen Wilson, an associate professor of human geography at the University of Durham, to delve into the natural history and cultural impact of one of the nation’s favourite birds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Now Christmas is just around the corner and I don't know about you, but I love Christmas and I'm already super excited about it. But what bird could be more associated with the festive season than the Robin? In this episode, I chat to Helen Wilson, a professor of human geography at Durham University. She has written a book, Robin, all about one of the first. the nation's favourite birds, which investigates their natural history and their role in our culture. Now, Helen, you've written a book all about Robbins. Now, would you say that Robbins are perhaps our most familiar bird? I would say, yes, that Robbins are one of the most familiar birds in the UK. Obviously, you know, depending on who you ask, people will have different answers

to this question, but they are very familiar and I think there's a number of reasons why they are. So the first is their distinctiveness. It's very, very easy to identify a robin. They have that distinctive ruddy, colored breast. If you think about how we learn about animals and birds when we're very, very young, the robin is often one bird that we learn. Well, we learn about the robin earlier precisely because they're so easy to identify. It's also because they're so common as well.

So, you know, you'll see robins in gardens. You'll see them in cities, the countryside. side, they do have a tendency to come quite close. So we do have the opportunity as well to see them regularly. So not only are they distinctive, they're very easy to come across. And then of course, you know, there is their presence in culture, in British culture. So they're present in nursery rhymes, but they're also an icon of Christmas. So you can't move at Christmas time without seeing a Robin. They'll be on your wrapping paper, your Christmas card, your stamps. They'll be hanging from trees. So yes, it's quite difficult to get through your year without seeing at least one Robin.

And you said they're quite associated with British culture, but do we find Robins anywhere else in the world? Yeah, absolutely. So we're talking here about the European Robin. So yes, they are distinctive in British culture, but the European Robin actually has quite an extensive range. So they can be found across Europe. They can be found in North Africa, parts of the Middle East, but also western parts of Asia as well. So quite an extensive reign for the European robin. So the European robin has quite an extensive range, but then there are many other robins across the world that appear in different bird lists. Some of them belong to the same family as the European robins. So you'll have robin chats and

bush robins and magpie robins, scrub robins. And their robins are all colors, all colors and sizes. You might think of the American Robin, for example. So there's lots of other robins beyond the European Robin, and they can be found the world over. Now, concentrating here on the European Robin, because that's the one we're most familiar with, now if we get them coming into our garden, is there a way to tell the males from the females,

or can you even tell an individual Robin apart from another one? An easy answer there is no, probably not. They are very, very difficult to tell the difference between a female and a male So some birds will have quite distinctive plumage, and it'll be very, very easy to tell the two apart. But with the European robin, no. Actually, there's a slight difference in size, but it's very, very difficult to discern. So even close up, actually, it's quite hard to tell the difference between the two birds. In terms of individual robins, some people will argue that you can tell the difference,

or at least you can recognize individual robins if you have a garden robin that you feed regularly. that you see on a daily basis, people talk about building up this relationship with their garden robin and being able to identify their garden robin. That might be the case. It might also be a mistake to assume that the robin you see every single year is the same Robin. But yeah, you might be able to tell the difference in that context. Now, you touched on it there that people almost build this relationship with the robins in their garden and indeed Robbins are called to the gardener's friend. Now, why are Robbins for any of the other people? birds, because it certainly seems that other birds just fly away from us.

Yeah. Yeah. And again, so, yeah, you maybe put some, you know, when we talk about the robin being a friendly bird, you know, maybe use that in inverted commas, but it is to do with their feeding behaviour. So first of all, they do like to feed on worms and groves. And so when we hear this kind of account of them being the gardener's friend, that is largely to do with the way that they hang around.

around when we garden. So if you've ever been out in the garden and you've turned over the soil or you've done some digging, you'll notice that robins appear quite quickly. And this is because they've spotted an opportunity for earthworms or other insects that have been revealed as part of this gardening activity. So they'll stay close by as an opportunity to then dip in and kind of pull out anything that's been revealed. So there's this sense that they are at, a companion if you like, you know, because they do, they do tend to hang around. So if you spend an afternoon in the garden like I did a last summer lifting up slabs, you'll have a robin that might appear and spend that afternoon with you,

working alongside you as you move the slab, the robin will hot down and grab whatever is now available. So, yeah, so, and the robin also, unlike other small birds, that tend to hang around in groups. If you think about sparrows, they're often in large numbers. the robin often hangs around by itself. And so again, there's this willingness to come close to us, especially for feeding. You know, you can actually, I don't want to use the word tame, but you can sort of train a Robin. If you feed the Robin regularly enough and you, you know, bring that food closer and closer to you, you can actually get a Robin to feed out of your hand.

And what do they like eating? What are their favourite foods? Oh, you know, the least range of things. And so, as I said, already grubs, earthworms, berries, seeds, fruits. Obviously, they'll feed from feeders, so, you know, fat balls and so on. But, yeah, a range of different things. Now, I've heard that while in the UK we've got this association with Robin being a friendly garden bird, but it's not necessarily the case across the rest of its range.

Is that true? Yeah, so you do tend to see Robbins in gardens and cities in the UK. you do across large parts of Europe, but you know, you might tend to find robins in woodland and scrubland in places like Russia, or, you know, if you're talking about North Africa in mountainous regions, in kind of low mountainous regions. So it isn't the case that Robbins occupy the same kind of habitats across its range. How long will Robbins live for? So the longest or the, the longest, or the, the oldest Robin on record. Well, actually, there's two, so it's between 17 and 19 years old is the

oldest Robin on record, but that is incredibly rare. Birds that have been ringed tend to be between the ages of four and six, but they do have a very high mortality rate. So actually, a lot of robins don't survive the first winter. There are a lot of stories about people who talk about the robins in their garden and how long they've lived and there's a really nice account from the ornithologist David Lack who talked about a seminar that he gave on Robbins and was talking about their high mortality rate and somebody in the audience was incredibly upset because they had been feeding their garden robin for 17 years. Now given that the oldest Robin on record is 17, 17, 19 years, perhaps that was

the case, but as he pointed out at the time, that that is highly and likely, and she was very upset by that. Now, he said that the Robins will come back to your garden, or it certainly seems that way. They're quite territorial birds, aren't they? They are territorial birds, yes. So we hear a lot about how friendly the Robin is, this friendly kind of cherished bird, but they do have this other side to them that is also talked about. They are highly territorial. They occupy territory all year round, which is quite unusual, and they will defend that territory. So the red breast is one of the mechanisms that they use to warn other birds off. And they will also use song as well.

So the song that they are very famous for and that they're loved for is also a part of their territorial practice. So they'll use song to demarcate the edges of their territory and protect that territory. So yes, very, very territorial birds, and they will fight off other robins that try and take over parts of their territory. And talking about that song a bit more, they sing all year round, which is, again, quite unusual among the birds, isn't it? Yes, that's right. Well, they sing all year round, but it's also to do with the robin being present, well, particularly in the UK, in the British Isles, the robin is present all year round, and it holds a territory all year round. So a lot of other birds will migrate, whereas the robin stays put and tends to overwinter here as well.

So you will hear them all year round. So how can the robin deal with our winter temperatures when loads of other birds migrate? Is it just a real tough bird? Yeah, again, yeah. So in Britain, you know, the milder winters mean that the birds tend to stay put, but actually we look at the European Robin across its range. It does migrate.

So in the UK, we've been. might see, or we do see, an influx of robins over winter from Scandinavia. So these are birds that are flying south for the milder winters in the British Isles. So we, you know, not only do you see robins in the winter because they stay behind, but we also see greater numbers because we have an influx as well. And then birds across the continents will also move south and southwest for warmer climbs. Interestingly, the European robin was actually involved in some of the studies in the 1950s that actually told us a lot about why birds migrate or how birds migrate. So it was almost by accident that it was found that birds use magnetic sense, so the Earth's

magnetic field to direct them. So some robins were held. in a tank and that tank prohibited them from seeing celestial cues. So it was thought that they used stars and so on to navigate themselves. When they were put in this tank, they didn't have access to any of these cues and for the first couple of days, the robins that were held there were disorientated so they weren't facing in the right direction that we would expect them to go during their migration. However, after several days, it was found that these robins did start to reorientate themselves and we're then eventually facing in the right way. So there was obviously something there that wasn't a celestial cue that was important to their migration. And what it was

found was that this tank had blocked out partially part of the Earth's magnetic field. There was still a weak sense of it. And so over those days, the robins that had been kept in that tank gradually re-adjusted themselves to this magnetic field. And so that is what they were using. So then after this initial experimentation, they ran another set of tests where they used powerful magnets to disrupt this magnetic field. And as they expected, the Robbins then reorientated themselves

based on this change to the magnetic field that they were in. So Robbins actually became a part of this new research on bird migration and understanding around magnetic sense. So you were saying there about how we get this big influx of robins over the winter months in the UK. Now, is that how they came to be associated with Christmas? Yeah, well, yeah. So there's a number of reasons why they're associated with Christmas. One of them is their presence. So, yes, they are very visible as well. You know, as we lose a lot of foliage and the leaves on our trees, they're more exposed.

You can see them. They're very vocal. There are more of them. So there's that sense that robins are far more. present or certainly feel far more present in our gardens. There's also a lot of emphasis on their song and the cheer that they bring to those kind of cold winter mornings. But it's actually more to do with their red breast. So because of their red breast and their association with the colour, we also see a link to the British Postal Service. So the British Postal Service used to have these scarlet uniforms and so they they earn themselves the nickname the nickname was robins so what you had was you know when people used to have their post delivered and this was before every household had

a letterbox so the postal workers would bring letters directly to people's door and hand them to to the recipients and so what you would have was this this kind of account of the robins bringing you your your mail so when they're the Christmas card became popular robins with mailbags and bringing letters were actually very, very popular as a design for those Christmas cards. And so that is where that association comes from. So yeah, it's to do with their red breast and that long link to the colour red. And it's not just with the associated with Christmas. They've also got this link to some of our folklore. I mean, there's some really quite nasty old children's nursery rhymes about the Robin,

like who killed Cock Robin. And you just think, how did they get so associated with these nursery rhymes? Yeah, again, so that would be a combination of their familiarity, their popularity, but also the colour red. So the colour red has this rich symbolism that links it to blood, that links it to fire. And so there's a lot of orange in stories that are linked to Robbins and where they got their red breast from that links it to blood and fire. So, you know, who killed Cock Robin?

As you said, it's quite a, it's quite a gruesome, it's quite a gruesome nursery rhyme. It's, it sees the Robin shot and killed with an arrow by a very sort of villainous sparrow. And so you can imagine visually, you know, there's lots of, if you look it up, there are lots of great images of this. But, you know, this arrow right through the chest and you've got this kind of red breast, you know, the blood. you know, the blood of the robin. So you can see how it becomes a focus for this kind of rhyme. Another rhyme that made it, or another tale that made it very significant to folklore was the children in the wood that bathe's in the wood.

And this is two children that are led into the wood by an uncle who is looking to take their inheritance after the children's parents died. And the children are left there, they die as a result of exposure. and then robins come along and give them some kind of dignity in death. And that dignity is achieved by covering the children in leaves. There's kind of a, the robins perform a burial, and that is linked to their behavior. So if you look at the way that robins feed on the ground, they tend to move leaves around. They'll throw up moss to get at what's underneath.

And so you can see how, again, you know, that sort of observation of their behavior lends itself after that kind of account of a burial. I was reading that in the book and thought it was so interesting, that bit about it, how it's all in the folklore there. So back in the present day, I suppose, how are Robbins coping with climate change

and insecticides and all that sort of stuff happening at the moment? Yeah, so climate change for birds generally, actually, is likely to affect their migrations. So, as I said, you know, in the UK, in the British Isles, robins tend to stay put and don't tend to migrate, but what we might see are earlier migrations from elsewhere.

So, for example, you might see, I mean, if we look at the American Robin, there is evidence to suggest that American Robbins are migrating five days earlier, so earlier in the spring, and that's recognising the fact that spring is arriving earlier, that temperatures are rising earlier and so on. So with bird migration, yet the birds that overwinter in Scandinavia might stay put instead of coming to the British Isles. But then you also see an increase in Robbins in northern areas where winters are becoming milder and then decreases as a result in southern areas. But then there are other things that are linked to climate change that might have an impact on robin. So, for example, if you have very, very dry summers, it might affect very crops and fruits and what is available.

So if you think about what they rely on for their foods, it might also impact insects. You know, so if insects are out earlier in the year, again, this affects their food, their food source and when they can get it. And then also water, you know, if we think about the summer that we've just had, summers are getting warmer. we've had a very, very dry summer. And of course, water is important for birds like robins. There are other things to think about as well. So, I mean, you know, when thinking about climate change, obviously we've got a lot of focus on renewable energy sources

and how that becomes a part and parcel of thinking about how we try and combat climate change. So we might think about the wind turbines and the turn to wind energy. There's been some great studies by research, at Newcastle University that has looked at the impact of wind turbines and the noise that they make on robbing communication and Robin Song. And of course, if they use their song to communicate territory and to defend territory, when wind turbines block out some of that, then actually

that change in the way that territories are protected and you might end up with more aggressive combats and combats for Robbins can be quite lethal. So when thinking about climate change, yeah, it's migration, it's the impact that it has on their food sources and water, but then also those other things that are perhaps less obvious like the turn to renewable energy. And you said there about the wind turbine noise, but also light pollution can be a problem for some birds, can't it? It can throw out when they start singing. That's right, yeah. So there's been a number of studies that have looked at the impacts of artificial lighting. So if you think in particular of Robbins in cities and how our cities now are lit up 24-7.

So artificial lighting has been linked to changes in the daily timing of Robin's song. So they're singing earlier in the morning. They're singing later at night because there is a relationship between singing and light and how they perceive light. But there's also an impact on their kind of seasonal rhythms as well. So there were studies that have been carried out in Southern. Germany, where it's found that male robins are more likely to sing earlier in the season at sites that were affected by light pollution. This is because a network of brain nuclei, this is known as the song control system. That's really responsible for song production and

learning. And the regulation of this song control system is actually influenced by hormones, which these hormones are the hormones that facilitate sleep. There's a real tight link between light, the stimulation of the song control system. And then, of course, if you've got artificial light, this reduces melatonin levels. And so winter days that are lengthened with artificial light might be perceived as spring days. And so you're triggering what seems to be

an earlier singing in some robins. What impact that has on robins is unknown at the moment. Does that mean that you end up with more Robin broods across a year because they're starting earlier in the year with their singing and with their breeding. Or does it mean that actually it's using up a lot more energy? And so you have more robin broods, but perhaps less successful robin broods. You know, there's a lot of question marks over that. So robins are obviously facing a few problems here. How can we help the robins or encourage them into our gardens, give them a bit of an easier time of it? Yeah. So there's a lot of

things that you can do to encourage Robbins into your garden. I mean, when people, when people think about encouraging birds in, the first thing that I'll think about is feeding, you know, so obviously, particularly in the UK, you know, we are known for feeding our garden birds, for putting out fat balls and so on, you know, and Robbins will feed from feeders. So whether that's hanging feeders, there are ground feeding birds. You can also get those feeders that you can put on the ground that come with those cages that you can put. over them to stop other predators and that getting in. So always think about where these are located and whether or not they're accessible by cats. But I would say there are other things

that we should consider beyond simply putting out food. And that goes back to what they eat naturally. So thinking about how we garden, even if you've only got a very small garden, you can look at the types of plants that you're putting in. Are there native species there to provide berries and seeds? So you might think about fruit trees or apples or blackberries, for example, mistletoe, very popular with robins. So thinking about what you actually plant in your garden can have a really big impact on the birds that you might entice in

and might provide a haven for. Beyond feeding, you might also consider where robins tend to nest. So robins tend to nest in cavities. They like ivy, for examples. They like places that they can hide away in. We've got a couple at the bottom of our garden. We've got quite a dense bit of ivy that's growing up against the fence. Things like this are really important for attracting robins because they will use it.

So dense vegetation, places that they can rest, places that they can rest, places that they they can nest. And then going back to that question about climate change and water, you know, all birds need water. If you can provide somewhere that they can bathe in, so a bird bath, even a small pond, and they can be tiny. A small amount of water in your garden will attract all kinds of birds, not just robins, but all kinds of birds very, very quickly. And thinking a bit more about their nesting habits, how many eggs will robins generally lay? Oh, six to seven, generally. And will the male and female work together, or will the male sort of play away of this or something like that when they're bringing up the babies?

They normally work together, yeah, they normally work together. It's a very, very busy time. There are a lot of hungry mouths to feed. It takes up a lot of energy, so there's a lot of food to be sought. It tends to be females that build the nest, but other than that, they do tend to work very closely together. And the babies don't hatch out with a red breast, do they? that develops later as they mature? That is correct, yes. So whilst the adult Robin is very, very easy to recognise because of that distinctive red breast, juvenile Robin is actually very

hard to identify, so it tends to be all brown, has quite yellowish streaks and spots, and the juvenile doesn't tend to start developing its adult plumage until it's about 10 weeks old. and it then takes several more months before it has that kind of full plumage. So while that process is underway, they do look very scruffy and quite unusual. So you have these little patches of orange that are starting to appear. But yeah, they can be quite hard to identify. Now, when I was researching this podcast, I was reading all about Robin's Eggs, and I know you talk about them in the book as well.

Now, there's this colour Robin's Egg blue, which is this lovely sort of bluish green colour. colour. And when I was digging into a bit more, you'd find out that it's actually American robins and not British robins that have that blue colour. Now, I know in this podcast we're talking a bit more about British robins, but that blue colour for an egg for the American robin, that seems like a really strange colour choice. Wouldn't that make it stand out more to predators? Well, this is an area where there is a lot of experimentation and scientific investigation. And there There are many hypotheses around why different birds have different colour eggs. So starting with the European Robin.

Yes, the European Robbins egg is actually white and speckled. They tend to be quite hidden, so that's not too much of an issue. But yeah, people do often confuse the two precisely, as you say, because of the popularity of Robin's Egg blue, which is this kind of this lovely colour that's become especially popular in paint. but with the American robin so there has been a couple of studies that have been done that suggest that the more vibrant the blue and the more time and effort and energy a male robin will invest in providing for those eggs so the more intense the blue the more likely that the

female robin is more healthy so one of the one of the hypotheses and this is just one is that the colour can tell us something about, you know, the health of a bird. But, I mean, it's an area of investigation that has grown rapidly. You know, as we've had advances in technology and digital cameras, we know a lot more about colour pigmentation, and we can recognise intensities of colour more easily. We also know a lot more about how birds see things. so what parts of the spectrum they can see.

And, you know, in combination, we can make hypotheses, but there's still a lot more to be done yet to fully understand. To fully understand that. Thank you for listening to this episode of Instant Genius. That was Helen Wilson. Her book, Robin, published by Reaction Books, is out now. The latest issue of BBC Science Focus magazine is now available. Pick up a copy and store or visit ScienceFocus.com.

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