Robins in winter

Mention the word "robin" and immediately what comes to mind is "spring" and the image of a cheery but determined bird, its head cocked to one side to look for a worm moving about in the warming soil. Worms are only part of the American Robin's diet. They also depend on fruits and berries, as well as insects and other invertebrates.

Fluffy feathers insulate from the cold

American Robins once were considered exclusively a migratory bird, flying in large flocks to Mexico and Florida for the winter. But more recently, a small percentage of robins has been staying in Pennsylvania all year round. 

Ordinarily that doesn't pose a problem for these hardy souls. They'll leave backyards behind and move to forests or low, swampy areas. There, they'll find shriveled berries and fruits, which account for 90 percent of their winter diet. If the ground is unfrozen, they'll scratch the surface for insect larvae among the leaf litter. 

This winter, however, is different. In the Lehigh Valley, snow has covered the ground for nearly 40 consecutive days, so robins can't poke through leaf litter. Also, because so many birds are competing desperately this winter for a limited amount of berries and fruits, robins are running out of easy options.

So how will robins survive this winter?

Fortunately, robins are stout, sturdy birds that can withstand cold. They've been known to survive temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees. Like most birds, they fluff up their their features and warm their body by shivering. The energy from shivering comes from food.

You can help them by offering them foods that they seem to enjoy: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, apple slices and grape slices. The enjoy suet in the form of suet pellets (available as suet Nuggets in several varieties at The Bird House). If you use raisins or dried cranberries, place them overnight in water to plumb them up. Sliced grapes also work well.

Mealworms, the larvae of the plain black beetle, are a real treat. You can use dried meal worms, but robins really appreciate live mealworms, like the ones they eat in nature. One backyard birder in Wisconsin has come up with a trick to keep live mealworms from freezing immediately in the cold. He fills a heated dog dish with peat moss, sawdust and other soft material. That keeps the mealworms alive a little longer, and the technique also imitates the leaf litter that robins find naturally on the forest floor. If you try this method, please let us know how it worked!

One rather unusual method used by backyard bird enthusiasts in England is to place bits of camembert or cheddar cheese on the ground. Robins in England are a different subspecies from the American version, so it's not clear whether robins here will accept this food. Again, if you try it, please let us know how it works.

Please keep in mind that robins feed on the ground. Even the hungriest robin will not eat from feeders, and certainly not from hanging feeders. The best method is simply to toss the food on the ground.

Don't forget water. Like most birds, robins need water in winter for drinking and bathing. They don't mind bathing in the frigid weather. They actually need to bathe because dirty feathers lose some of their insulating properties. Consider using a heated bird bath to provide water. The best type for robins is one that's low to the ground.

Finally, think ahead. If you're adding shrubbery of trees to your landscape in the spring, try to include berry- or fruit-producing trees. Good choices are crabapple, dogwood, American holly, serviceberry (also known as shadbush or Juneberry), winterberry, barberry and viburnum.