the robin is a graceful little bird that symbolizes winter and endurance. It lives in the woods but we can attract and observe it also in our gardens.
Small, graceful and colorful, capable of singing melodious songs, the robin announces the arrival of winter and it is the symbol of hope, optimism and of the life that resists difficulties.
Let's discover the features, i myths and legends related to the robin and how can we attract this little bird to the garden with a lively character that has always excited man.
Index
Characteristics of the robin
Il robin is a passerine songbird of the Muscicapidae family, very common in Europe. The robin specimens live mainly in coniferous forests but it is not uncommon to meet one of these birds in other habitats, including urban ones, perhaps hidden among the foliage of trees and hedges, or among the ivy leaves.
Il plumage of the robin it is predominantly brown, except in the belly area which is white. Adult specimens have the characteristic red-orange color on the chest and forehead, absent in the young.
Classified by Linnaeus as Erithacus rubecula, the robin is small specimen which can reach a length of about 14 centimeters, with a wingspan of about twenty centimeters and a weight that barely reaches 20 grams.
A robin lives on average 3-4 years and, despite its small size and its graceful appearance, has a character that is not at all meek. The robin is in fact known for his arrogant and brazen attitude and for being particularly aggressive, combative and territorial.
During the winter, the robin intones melodious songs and the mating of the specimens takes place in the cold months, starting from December.
La nesting it occurs at different times of the year and for the occasion the robin builds perfect nests, with a round shape reminiscent of that of cups.
The robins lay from one to two broods a year and, when the female lays her eggs for the second time, it is the male who takes care of nourishing the young of the first brood. After a couple of weeks from the hatching of the eggs, the new born are ready to take flight.
Myths and legends about the robin
Legend has it that when a robin peeps out the window announce the arrival of the cold season and snow.
Symbol of life that resists winter, of rebirth and renewal, the robin brings with it hope, optimism, good wishes for the new year.
Despite the aggressive and not at all shy character, the robin is often associated with calm, peace and tranquility, but in the Celtic tradition, the robin flaunts his combative nature and struggles from the branches of a holly against a wren placed on an oak, symbolizing the transition between summer and winter and from the old year to the new one.
For the peoples of the north, the robin was instead one of the symbols of Thor, god of thunder, bringer of clouds, lightning and storms.
Christian legends focused on the plumage coloring of the robin, rather than on his character.
According to one of these legends, in the beginning these little birds were completely gray, until one of them tried to free Jesus crucifix with a crown of thorns stained with blood. Jesus, as a sign of gratitude, decided to leave the particular coloring to the little bird, so that everyone could know the goodness and generosity of the robin.
To try to give an explanation to the orange color of the robin, there is then the legend that associates the robin with Christmas. Also according to this legend, the robins were all gray. During the night, one of these birds noticed that the fire that warmed the stable of the Holy Family in Bethlehem was about to go out, so he started flapping his wings to rekindle the fire. The following morning the anonymous bird was given a red breast, to thank him for the love shown towards the Baby Jesus.
The image of the robin has often been associated with Christmas and used as symbol of love on greeting cards. The tradition was born in the nineteenth century, when the British noticed the presence of the robin during the month of December.
Writers, poets and musicians were instead inspired by melodious song of the robin. Chopin, for example, tried to imitate him in the brilliant Grande Polonaise, which is why the robin earned the nickname "Chopin of the air", while Emily Dickinson, an American poetess, dedicated one of her best-known lines to this pretty little bird. her:
If I can prevent it
to a heart to break
I will not have lived in vain.
If I relieve the pain of a lifetime
or I'll help a fallen robin
to re-enter the nest
I will not have lived in vain.
How to attract a robin to the garden
attract robins to the garden you can offer them food, set up a nesting house or plant plant species that these birds like.
The robin has a reserved and solitary disposition but has developed a certain confidence in man because he has learned that thanks to it he can find food in a simple way.
These birds in fact, they feed on insects and worms found in the ground: when working in the garden, it is not uncommon for a robin to approach in search of earthworms and insects that have surfaced by turning the soil.
For the same reason, a robin can often be seen following wild boars or near moles, which move the earth in their place revealing precious insects.
During the winter months, when the ground is hard or covered with snow and ice and food is scarce, the robin does not disdain berries, small fruits, seeds, nuts and fat, which can be placed in the garden on the ground and on the windowsills of balconies. and terraces for attract this cute little bird.
To closely observe a robin in your garden, it is useful to arrange a manger sheltered from possible predators. The manger should be filled in the morning, taking care to always keep it full of fresh and clean food.
Hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, fresh and candied fruit, even mixed with peanut butter or other fats, can be placed in the manger.
Among plant species most loved by the robin and to be planted in the garden to attract these birds, we find the rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), whose fruits are appreciated by robins, the spindle (Euonymus europaeus) whose seeds attract the robins, and the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) which forms hedges suitable for host the nests of robins.
Thanks to feeders, plants they like and safe places to nest we could enjoy the sight and song of one of these splendid birds, before hunting and climate change decree its extinction.
Unfortunately, in fact, every year thousands of robins are killed illegally to become an ingredient of the famous "polenta con osei", a typical dish of the north-east of our country.
Robins, as well as many other common bird species, are also in danger of disappearing due to hunting that adds to other threats, including habitat loss and massive use of pesticides.
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