Wildlife experts have shared a simple winter task that can help attract robins to your garden when the ground is frozen in winter
Wildlife experts have shared a simple winter task that can help attract robins to your garden when the ground is frozen in winter(Image: mauribo via Getty Images)
Robins are always a delightful sight in any garden, but if you’ve noticed they’ve been scarce lately, there’s one straightforward task that could tempt them back. Wildlife experts are now encouraging gardeners to carry out a simple job to give these beloved birds a helping hand, reports the Express.
According to advice shared with Ideal Home, experts suggested turning over small areas of soil in your garden to support robins. The logic behind disturbing patches of earth is that robins much prefer foraging on the ground rather than visiting bird feeders.
These birds typically hunt for insects, worms, seeds and berries found at ground level. Yet when winter arrives and temperatures plummet, robins can struggle to locate food as the ground becomes frozen solid.
Dig up small patches of soil to help the robins find food(Image: Getty)
Wildlife specialists recommend loosening the soil around your garden to assist these birds during tough times.
Fay Brotherhood, an ecologist at Arbtech, explained to Ideal Home : “It can be challenging for robins to source suitable food in winter, particularly during a cold snap when the ground has frozen over, and fewer insects are available. But digging a small patch of soil in your garden each morning is one of the small acts gardeners can do to help.
“It’s an easy task that exposes hidden insects and gives robins access to the food sources they vitally need.”
There’s no need to transform your entire garden into a building site – simply use a garden fork to turn over one or two small areas. This makes it simpler for robins and other ground-dwelling birds to forage for sustenance.
When you’re planning to leave food out for robins, there are several crucial points to bear in mind. Wildlife experts at Beaky Bites recommend offering peanuts, sunflower hearts or seeds, which are packed with essential fats.
These high-calorie offerings are precisely what robins require when visiting your garden. But it’s vital to note that robins must never be given salted food.
Their systems cannot handle salt, which can result in dehydration, kidney damage or potentially fatal consequences. The specialists stressed that birds should only receive natural and unprocessed fare given their delicate digestive systems, so make certain you’re providing only raw peanuts and seeds for robins.
The wildlife gurus advised: “Peanuts and sunflower hearts are healthy options robins love. These foods provide the proteins and fats they need. Sunflower hearts are particularly nutritious and are a robin favourite during breeding season.
“You can offer peanuts and sunflower hearts by scattering them on the ground or in platform feeders. These foods are not only healthy but also very attractive to robins so add them to your feeders to increase interaction from robins.”
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