Many people assume robins disappear in winter. In fact, plenty of them stick around, and when the ground freezes and the worms are out of reach, they change what they eat. That’s when a little fruit on the lawn can bring them back to your yard.
In short
- American robins move with their food in winter: some go as far south as Texas and Florida, others stay as far north as they can find berries.
- Once the ground freezes, they switch to a winter diet of mostly fruit, mostly berries.
- Journey North suggests placing “apple slices, raisins, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or cherries on the ground.”
- Robins rarely use bird feeders and can’t digest seed well, so skip the birdseed.
Why you still see robins in winter
“Robins do migrate, but it has more to do with food sources than with being faithful to the same places year over year,” explains The Nature Conservancy’s Cool Green Science blog. Some travel as far as Texas and Florida, while others stay as far north as they can find berries.
Their routine changes too. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds, robins often roost in large flocks in fall and winter and spend much more time in trees, and many move to moist woods where berry-producing trees and shrubs are common.
The fruit to leave out
When the ground freezes, worms and insects are out of reach. “That’s when they turn to their winter diet staple: mostly fruit, mostly berries,” the Nature Conservancy writes. All About Birds lists chokecherries, hawthorn, dogwood and sumac fruits, and juniper berries.
At home, Journey North suggests apple slices, raisins, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or cherries, fresh or frozen, placed on the ground, since robins may not visit feeders. Raisins are “a favorite of many fruit-eating birds,” according to Cornell’s Project FeederWatch, which asks for raisins with no preservatives. Ornithologist Maria Kincaid told Homes & Gardens that soaking raisins in warm water for a few minutes “makes them softer and easier to eat,” and that a tray “on or near the ground” works well.
A tip that comes from Britain
The idea is trending in the UK, where Wales Online urged readers to put out one fruit in November to attract robins. The British robin is a different bird from the American robin, but both turn to fruit when the cold sets in.
If you enjoy watching winter birds, see also how to protect chickadees from the cold and the small gray bird that shows up in yards every winter.
The limit
There’s no guarantee robins will find your fruit, since they travel in flocks that follow food sources. Moldy fruit can be harmful: FeederWatch warns that some molds create toxins, so remove anything that spoils, and keep trays clean. Birdseed won’t help, as the Nature Conservancy explains that robins can’t digest seed well. In the long run, berry-producing shrubs feed them better than any tray. And if you’re planning for spring, avoid the common nest box mistake.
That’s the trick.
