Robins do not migrate south for winter like many other birds, but these Christmas card characters sometimes need a helping hand finding food, especially as temperatures drop
Alex Evans Deputy Audience Editor and Vita Molyneux Travel reporter
09:45, 08 Oct 2025
Birds will keep coming back if you create a welcoming space(Image: Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images)
Gardeners are being encouraged to put out one everyday household fruit for robins during October to assist them in getting ready for the brutal winter months to come. Unlike many other bird species, robins don’t fly south for winter, but these festive favourites occasionally require extra support finding sustenance, particularly when the temperature begins to plummet.
Wildlife specialists at Ark Wildlife are calling on gardeners to support these quintessentially British birds throughout the chillier period with different foods that will enable them to gain weight for the freezing nights, as it’s now ‘more crucial than ever’ due to declining natural environments.
Ark Wildlife explains: “These beautiful birds do not migrate south for the colder months, leaving them at the mercy of the icy British winter – and with safe, warm habitats in increasingly short supply on our shores, it’s more important than ever to do what you can to protect robins.
Robins are charming birds(Image: Lourdes Balduque via Getty Images)
“But feeding robins is also one of the best things you can do – supplementing their diet to add to what they can forage from the ground themselves and ensuring they get the nutrients they need.
“They are omnivores, so will eat a wide range of food, giving you plenty of options when it comes to feeding them.
“Robins can lose up to 10% of their body weight just staying warm on a single winter’s night, so making sure its fat reserves are sufficiently topped up really can save a robin’s life.”
“Robins eat a wide variety of food, including worms, insects, seeds, nuts and fruit depending upon the time of year. As winter nears, they tend to focus more on fatty and nutrient-rich food such as worms and insects.”
Gardening experts recommend leaving out suet pellets, fat balls, fruits and berries during the winter months. They also suggest providing mealworms and calcium worms, reports the Express.
Ark Wildlife suggests raisins as a suitable fruit for birds.
Raisins are great for birds(Image: HUIZENG HU via Getty Images)
They said: “We need to look out for wildlife, especially during cold winter months when natural food supplies are scarce. Give your garden birds a treat by soaking a handful of our raisins overnight and then adding them to a ground feeder or bird table. You’ll soon have a hungry crowd visiting your garden at dinner time.”
However, if you have cats or dogs, refrain from this practice as raisins can be toxic to these pets.
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