Robin (European Robin)
Erithacus rubecula
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Distribution Britain 2,629 (+1.0%) Ireland 967 (-0.9%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 4,200,000 Ireland 1,900,000 European status: 37,000,000 (17% in Britain and Ireland =1) British population trend: stable or slight increase (+21% CBC){+42%} How likely are you to record it? 3744 squares (83.4%) Ranked 6 [3] |
Britain's national bird is pretty well ubiquitous, missing only from the remotest islands, the highest mountain and the most open habitats without trees or shrubs. There seems to have been little, if any, change in distribution save a gradual increase in Orkney and on the Western isles as cover grows up. They do not regularly breed on Shetland. The effects of cold winters are felt on the population levels for a year or two but the birds are better at avoiding losses than many species — a 50% decline seems to be the maximum. Marginal losses have been suffered in arable areas as hedges were lost but new housing must have created so many gardens that these losses will not have had an overall effect. There has been a recent increase in the CBC index and the positive change of 5% in the BBS is significant too. A species whose prospects seem to be 'set fair'.
The following Bird On! picture is available:
Robin (Watercolour by Robert Gillmor)
The following Bird On! sketch is available:
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead