The Robin - The Icon for Christmas
One of the UK's favourite garden visitors, the Robin, is making a comeback. The Robin, name first given to a small European bird, Erithacus rubecula, of the thrush family, Turdidae, familiar in England from living in close proximity to humans. The name was later applied by settlers in other parts of the world to birds of somewhat similar appearance in North America to the thrush Turdus migratorius and to members of several endemic genera of songbirds of Australia and New Guinea.

The European robin is technically a chat thrush, not a true thrush of the genus Turdus. The plump body is about 14 cm (about 5.5 in) long; its general color is olive-brown, with a characteristic reddish-orange breast. The species ranges from Siberia to North Africa and, depending on its location, may migrate short distances during the year.

Robins are rarely seen or heard during midsummer (July-August) when they are moulting and become rather retiring. At other times they can usually be heard singing their musical song, which sounds like "Twiddle-oo, twiddle-eedee, twiddle-oo twiddle", from strategic perches.

They will sing their liquid warbling song all through the night, particularly near to street lights, and this often leads to them being incorrectly identified as a Nightingale.

Breeding
The nest is made from grass, moss and dead leaves, lined with hair and wool, and usually in a hole in a tree stump, bank or wall, but more unusual locations such as kettles, cars, and coat pockets have been used. An open-fronted nest box may be used. Breeding starts in late March and generally the female lays between 3 and 9 eggs. The incubation period is between 12 to 15 days.

General Observation
Occasionally two Robins will visit and take up near-permanent residence near the feeding stations in the winter. They will perch in a nearby tree or bush and continually fly down for some food, before returning to its perch. During the summer the Robin defends its territory from the intrusion of other Robins, but in the winter they seem to tolerate one and other.

The Robin is pugnacious and do not tolerate some other species, infact they fight the Blue Tits and Coal Tits for sunflower hearts - which the Robins get from the feeders either by perching precariously on it or by hovering like a hummingbird.