For many Canadians, spring begins the first time they see a robin or hear one singing “chip chip cheerio, jam on toast!” from their rooftop or their tree. Here in the deep south of Ontario, however, you might see that familiar flash of rusty-red or hear that quarrelsome twitter of a bird chasing away a competitor even in the bleakness of January. Do Robins stay the winter here?
Yes!
Did you know robins have brown eyes? Me neither.
In fact, there are probably several thousand robins that over-winter in the Toronto area. They seem to manage in two ways.
Flock for Safety, Defend for December
Many, perhaps most, of the robins form flocks. They live in sheltered spots in parks and Toronto’s famous ravines. Moving as a group, they search for fruit trees including ornamental crabapple trees and rowan or mountain ash trees from which to feed. With the ground frozen the supply of earthworms and other insects is unavailable.
Others, like our valiant male robin, stay on territory all winter. Our robin perches day (and possibly night) in our ornamental crab tree. (Yes, the same tree the Red Breasted Nuthatches are considering nesting in this spring.) He lives mostly off the fruit from the tree.
(This is one of the invaders, not our robin.)
Occasionally, a flock of robins will arrive intending to strip his tree of fruit. Single-wingedly, he will try to drive them away. Diving aggressively at bird after bird, he will fly for 10 to 15 minutes before he pauses for a rest. Only the birds feeding in the tree face his wrath. Those eating dropped crabapples off the ground are left unchallenged.
I’ve been known to help a bit because I feel so sympathetic to his desperation. If I go stand near the tree, the visiting robins will take wing. My male, however, is very comfortable with us coming and going beneath him, and he will sit in the tree, watching in what I think might be relief.
Isn’t Over-wintering Risky for Robins
The vigour with which our male defends his one reliable source of food is a sign of just how risky it is to over winter in Ontario. Without a steady supply of food, the robins will lack the ability to stay warm during the cold winter nights of January and February. Fruit is also not particularly high in energy, so the robins must eat a lot of it.
Migration itself, though, is also high risk. It’s estimated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that 20-30 percent of hatch year migrating birds die on the trip.
Another obvious advantage is that when spring does arrive, the birds that stayed here will be first to choose their territories, find mates, and start a brood. For a bird like a robin that nests several times during the spring, summer and early fall, even a week’s head start gives it a chance to produce more healthy offspring than a competitor.
Why Don’t They Visit My Feeder?
Unlike most of our winter birds, robins do not apparently eat seeds. The black oil sunflower seeds that provide such nutritious bursts of fat and protein to the chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers are not of interest to the robins.
I’ve often wondered if I put out a tray of meal worms, though, whether the robin would feast on them. Maybe some day I’ll experiment.
Winter Resident or Spring Arrival Robins are Warmly Welcomed
Whether they stayed the winter or not, the sight of robins busily hunting in the lawns, or running rapidly ahead of us, never realizing if they ran to the side they’d be safe and could stop running, is welcome. Their cheerful colouring and ambitious if unmusical songs brighten many a gloomy April morning.
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Do you have a resident robin? Or do you mark the official start of spring on the day when the robins first arrive back in your neighbourhood? Please share your experiences with a comment.
Yesterday I counted 15 robins in the tree at the back of my home. They were there for about 1’2 hour and then left. What a beautiful site in the fresh snow.
Beautiful! I hope they found a crabapple for a snack. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
I watched a Robin in my crab apple tree for a couple of days. Then we got an ice storm. The next day the robin desperately tried to get the coated berries but couldn’t. I took some berries off the tree and left them on the ground. It came back and managed to eat some. I was amazed how many it wanted to eat. It was a cold night. Today no sign of the robins or other birds, cardinal and sparrows .
Hopefully your Robin found somewhere to shelter and will show up again soon. It was great of you to help it to feed! Thanks for sharing your sighting.
Today I videod between 30- 40 Red Robins here in Cape Breton. They were all 1 st year Robins. They most have been here all winter. I have alot of apple trees and berry trees, but I believe they were looking for a few worms as the Sun was shining brightly on the Southern bank and although cold they were hoping the sun would bring a few to the surface.
Wow that must be quite a sight! I’m sure you’re right and they were looking for any worms, grubs or other insects they could find any where that the ground had softened. The fruit is probably what is keeping them alive while they wait for spring. Thanks for sharing!
Our robin ate peanuts out of shell broken up a bit. As we feed squirrels and birds of any kind, the robin hung around as well in winter weather which we were surprised to see.
Neat! I’ve never heard of them eating peanuts before but it sounds like it helped your robin get thorugh the winter. Thanks for sharing your sighting — and helping it!
Jan 27 2014 – Just saw a robin on my daughters trellis (grape vines) over her deck.
How nice! I’m sure it will eat any leftover grapes it can find. Our determined male robin is still sitting guarding his crabapple tree from any other robins. He’s been finding this a hard winter but there is still fruit on the tree for him to eat.
There are more than 35 robins moving around on my Belleville, Ontario lawn…they’ve been here for more than 20 minutes so far…a beautiful during a rainy day and coming ice storm.
Sure hope the ice missed you ! Snow and heavy winter rains are bad enough !
And your flock of robins must have been a cheerful sight on such a blustery day. Thanks for sharing!
We are in Oshawa, Ontario and just had a flock of 24+ robins come through our neighbourhood which is on a greenbelt. It was an amazing sight on a mild winter day, December 29th, 2021 with almost no snow and a light drizzle. They were mainly rummaging in our lawns as we tend to mulch leaves and leave the grass a bit longer going into winter.
Feb 02/14 I saw a Robin this morning while cleaning my drive in Lindsay On. about an hour north of Toronto . Have never seen in Feb. before.
It is startling to see a robin in the snow! Maybe there are some new winter food supplies in your neighbourhood (maybe someone left hips on their roses; planted an ornamental crabapple; is now growing grapevines; has left a crop of bittersweet nightshade berries, etc.) If so, this may be the first year of many when you’ll see a robin or two determinedly hanging on.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
We saw a flock of around 6 robins today in Mississauga digging in the snow to get at some holly berries
Very odd sight!
Sounds like those ones will likely make it through the winter! I saw a few today up at Riverwood Conservancy. There was one patch of exposed soft mud and 3 robins busily checking it out before moving on to a crabapple tree.
This morning I discovered a flock of robins feasting on fallen apples near a vineyard in Beamsville. I went back this afternoon and found them in another location. they didn’t seem to mind. It was if they expected me to feed them. I live 2 miles away and have feeders for other birds. Maybe robins would enjoy spoiled fruit
So far I’ve never found anything that Robins will eat at a feeder, although every bird is different! During the ice storm, I did get “our” robin (who lives in our crabapple tree all winter) to eat a few dried cranberries that I scattered on the ground under the tree. They looked like the ornamental crabapples which he couldn’t get at because they were encased in ice.
I’m glad to hear your flock has survived, too. Hopefully in a few weeks they’ll be able to get at the earthworms again.
This morning (November 15) I’ve seen at least 6 robins in my back garden, eating the crabapples etc. Is it too late for them to migrate south?
No, there are many robins still migrating. The “hawk watch” sites near the US border are reporting dozens to hundreds a day moving through. Many robins, though, will try to over-winter if they can find enough fruit sources to feed themselves. They like the small crabapples, buckthorn and sea buckthorn berries, wild grapes, and many other small fruits. Even nightshade berries.
In winter, many of them stay as a group moving from tree to tree rather than staying in one place and defending a territory. In Toronto, for instance, there are often flocks that over-winter in the ravines, then move up into the lawns of homes in the spring when the ground thaws.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
I have never seen Robins in January in all of my life, but this year, I have seen at least a dozen in a neighbors dried fruit tree.
I hope they can hang on another few months. The fruit tree will definitely help as robins can survive some pretty cold temperatures so long as they can find enough to eat.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
I forgot to say that I live in Northern New Brunswick Canada. We have very harsh winters with 3 to 4 feet of snow and temperatures dipping to – 27 Celsius.
We had at least a dozen robins at our birdbath yesterday taking turns all day getting a drink. I assume they must have just arrived as they were really thirsty. The Great Lakes are 90% frozen so if they came from the states they probably couldn’t find any open water. We live in Bolton, Ontario which is about 45 min from Toronto. The date is Feb. 25, 2015.
It’s wonderful that you are offering the birds a source of clean, fresh water. In a winter like this, that’s very difficult for them to find. And as you know, melting snow inside your body to make water takes more water out of you than it puts in. The water along road sides is very salty and again does not really help the birds that drink it.
It’s more likely that these robins are some of the over-wintering birds as the migrating robins don’t usually come back this early. (especially when they encounter snow along their route back.) You have probably saved the lives of several of them!
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
I opened the drapes of our bedroom this morning and there were about a dozen or more robins . Some in our trees and in our bird bath. I am still amazed, There were some in the trees on our front yard as well! !!,,, Honestly, I thought it was Spring again. Why haven’t they gone South??? I always welcomed them in the Spring. What is happening? ?
Nov. O5 2015.
Depending on where you live, they may be on their way south or they may be planning to over-winter. Although most robins migrate, there are hundreds that don’t if there are enough fruit trees and bushes to feed themselves from during the winter. For instance, there are large flocks that live during the winter in the ravines in Toronto and the river valleys in Mississauga. They will visit back yards, too, to eat the very small crabapples that are on the decorative crabapple trees, and mountain ash and dogwood berries. They also eat nightshade berries. If there are still insects available, which there are in most of southern Ontario still, they will also eat those. They like earthworms, but they eat many other things as well.
So I would enjoy your visiting flock and not worry too much. They are either working their way south or they are on the move locally to ensure they can find enough to eat during the winter.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
For the past two weeks I’ve been seeing Robins in the Golf course, South of Eglinton on Wynford Drive. Lots of crab apple trees there.
They’ll certainly eat the fruit when they need it. It’s been such an odd autumn they may still be able to get ground insects, too. There’s actually been several Bluebirds still seen in the GTA which are getting very late.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
Just saw a mature robin in the backyard in Thornhill on the after our first snow fall. He came to our bird feeder but didn’t eat anything. What could we do to help him/them winter-over?
Robins will usually move around the neighbourhood at this time of year looking for fruit including very small crabapples, nightshade berries, multiflora rose hips, sumac berries, etc. They usually will not eat fruit from the ground or from a tray feeder. They will come to get water, though, if there is a pool in a dish or a bird bath. In the winter, Robins don’t defend their territories. Instead they move freely from tree to tree, and often even end up in large flocks in the river valleys.
So aside from some water, I don’t think there is much help you can offer your robin but I don’t think you need to worry too much either, as it will probably find food nearby.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
Raisins. They love them.
Interesting! I’ve never been able to get Robins to eat from the ground or a tray feeder. Thanks for sharing!
This morning in North Burlington, Ontario, a flock of between 15 and 20 Robins spent about an hour in my daughter’s backyard just as the sun was coming up. They were there for about an hour. They were beautiful.
What a wonderful sight! With luck, spring will arrive early this year and all these brave robins that stayed will get an early start on raising their chicks. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
We live in Stouffville and I just had 2 Robins come for a visit in our yard. I saw this flash of orange and thought I was seeing things. Such a wonderful sight but surprising nonetheless.
I suspect more have stayed over this winter than usually do given the number of sightings I’ve heard of and the number of birds I’ve seen. Their bright colour is welcome when the trees and shrubs seem so bare and drab. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
Never have seen a robin in mid winter here in Sault Ste Marie but a mature male has been hanging around our backyard feeders for the last week.
Doesn’t seem to care about the various seeds and suet we have out but he guards a crab apple tree that we left the fruit on as an experiment. We think he may be eating mountain ash berries too and there are at least six of these in the immediate area.
Yes, they’ll eat both crabapples and mountain ash if they can get them. They’ll also eat dogwood berries and nightshade berries. They really aren’t much for eating suet and they won’t seem to eat fruit that has fallen on the ground so it doesn’t seem to work to put out, say, chopped apple, raisins or craisins. With a bit of luck this winter will stay mild and he’ll make it. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
This is the earliest I have seen and heard them back in Angus, just west of Barrie,ontario…….saw and heard them yesterday……..hope winter doesn’t return…also, hearing a lot of geese at night, so hopefully winter is gone.
ElinorSmith
Yes, some of the deep-south migrant robins are back already. Others are ones that over-wintered just a bit south of you and are now moving back up. They are pretty hardy birds so if there is still some fruit on the trees and bushes around you, they should be able to weather a few short cold snaps.
The Tundra Swans are on the move too. Many flocks have been seen lifting off Lake Ontario and heading north. I sure hope Spring is officially here, too.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
how long does it take a robin egg to hatch
AllAboutBirds says it takes 12-14 days of incubation before a robin egg hatches. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/lifehistory So if you can see an egg in a nest, it won’t be too long before it’ll be a chick!
I live in an apt and it backs onto a small bush of suemack trees and the robin love the berries on the trees
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
A robin made a nest above my house deck. Her eggs are blue and very small.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing your sighting.
I was shoveling the snow off the car this morning when a bird flew overhead. Something told me it was strange and I looked up to see it on our neighbour’s mountain ash tree and then later in our carport. I had never seen a robin in winter before and when I googled it, this site came up. Hopefully it has somewhere warm to survive. I live in Kitchener, west of Toronto.
If there are mountain ash and small fruit crabapples around the robin will probably do fine. A large number manage to over-winter in southern Ontario each year if they can get at some fruit. Thanks for sharing your sighting on this snowy almost-winter day!
Dec.19. 2016 – I sighted a single robin on our woodland property in Manotick (Ottawa) ON. it was singing its heart out while perched at the top of a very old, tall sumach. Temperatures the night before had plummeted to -24C rising to -14C in that morning. I was shocked it hadn’t migrated. We have wild grape vines, mountain ash, crab apple & a small apple tree on our acre and a quarter….haven’t heard it recently but then haven’t been home during the day…any suggestions on what to do if I hear it again? Have been putting out seed for the wild birds and ducks in our area but realize robins don’t eat seeds. Like the idea of raisins but how do I keep the other animals from eating them if the robins don’t like feeders? Welcome all ideas!
Given the number of fruit sources in and around your property, the Robin is fine for food. It often comes down to luck which ones make it through the winter, but hopefully your bird will find some shelter and hang on. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
I live in Northeastern Ontario and have 1 lone robin who has aligned himself with a flock of blue jays! He is always with the blue jays but unlike them he doesn’t go on the feeder but he DOES eat seed on top of the snow! I have no fruit trees on my property nor do my neighbours. What can I put out for him to help him survive the winter?
Unfortunately I don’t have any suggestions, although one reader had one take some chopped apple. They are pretty amazing birds, though, so it may find enough on its own to make it. I sure hope so!
Hi saw about 6 robins today in our ornamental crab apple tree. So nice to see them. Temperature was around zero so not too cold for them to come out.
There have been some record high numbers of Robins counted at locations around southern Ontario during the December winter counts. Hopefully many of them will survive to nest in the spring. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
It’s December 31, 2016 and I am sitting in my daughter’s living room in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario looking out the window as hundreds of robins fly over. I’ve never seen so many robins in my life! What a great way to end 2016 and a great start to 2017. Happy New Year!
Marvellous! Thanks for sharing!
Dec.30, 2017
A couple of Robins were staring at us this morning in the snow, minus 12 degrees in Toronto…surprised us.
Luckily if they can get at food they will usually survive so hopefully there are some sumac or fruit bushes in the neighbourhood–thanks for sharing your year-end sighting!
Saw my first Robin, Highland and Sterling, Kitchener 9:30 am Feb 11 2017, always a welcome sight
I hope you don’t have too much snow today. Luckily, robins will eat fruit such as small crabapples straight from the trees, so if you do have drifts, it may be ok. Thanks for sharing your sighting!
Had 15 robins in a tree in our yard today, what a surprise. They stayed around at the front and back of the house for about 3 hours and then disappeared. So nice to see them but after a 10″ snowfall the day before there wasn’t much food for them.
Hopefully they will find a mountain ash or crabapple tree to eat fruit from. Thanks for sharing your sighting.
We have a cedar hedge in our yard in rural Peterborough and the robins have been staying all winter for the last few years lining in the hedge. We also have crabapple trees and as I write this I have the great pleasure of watching about 15 robins eating the dried crab apples. One even boldly came up to our patio door no less than six feet away from where I am sitting and looked straight in the house. Truly one of God’s great creations! 😌
I agree! Thanks for sharing your sighting, and your fruit!
This is the first year we have ever seen a “flock” of robins in our backyard tree, which started mid February. We do share a tree with our neighbours which has small berries and is one of their flocking areas. We have been putting out a small apple near the feeder and they will eat that. However, they do not like the apple skin. lol
Peterborough, On
Sounds like your robins will make it till spring. Thanks for sharing your sighting, and your apples!
I was looking outside my back window for the return of my resident robins, Sally and George. Sally nested 3 times last spring in a nest they built right outside my back window in between the water drain pipe and the roof. I took a look outside the front window and there George was. He has a distinctive gait and the way his feathers ruffle on the top of his head gave him away. Just looking for Sally now…I am really excited about their return this spring! It’s always so funny the way Sally chases George away when I come around. He often does what I call a “fly-by” when I go out onto the patio….he’ll fly directly towards me and turn sharply before he gets too close in hopes of scaring me away, of course. But Sally chases him off the property when she sees me, she knows I mean no harm to their little fledglings! She even flies right up to the nest to feed her young when I’m standing right there. It’s such a lovely experience to have!
How wonderful to get to share their lives and learn their habits. Thanks for sharing!
Just got back from Dundas conservation area, Ancaster/ Hamilton, to many robins to count sunning themselves and enjoying the fruit in the old orchard part of the trail. January 7 2018…
Interesting to see so many taking advantage of the fruit while they can. Thanks for sharing!
On my drive into Port Colborne this afternoon, around 2pm on this January 20th, 2018 saw a robin fly into the brush from Bessie Road. Seeing it was such a beautiful day (plus 6) it felt like spring and seeing the robin put a smile on my face. Can I put raisins out for them or cut up raw bacon ?
I’ve never had any luck with them eating from the ground or a feeder but some readers occasionally have. The best long-term bet is to plant a shrub or tree with small fruit like a dogwood, or the decorative crabapples with the tiny fruit. I guess that won’t help this winter though! Thanks for sharing your sighting, and let’s hope spring comes soon!
Has anyone else heard the gentle whistling coming from a robin sitting in a Rowan? Are they singing to keep warm? Or pass the time? It’s definitely not the loud singing they can produce, just quiet and soft like a lullaby?
Yes, I’ve heard that type of murmurring call. You have to really be close to hear it. Thanks for sharing!
I read on the New Jersey Audobon Society page that they will eat mealworms if you leave them on a heated tray with some spagham moss. They need to be live mealworms. Robins also like sunflower kernnals and raisins or currants soaked in water. They prefer eating from tray feeders.
source:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2014/03/new_jersey_wildlife_the_americ.html
Thanks for sharing this. I’m sure it will help some readers, and some robins!
HELP
We found a robin storing food in a corner of our front porch yesterday it has since added to it’s stash. I’m a little concerned because it’s right beside our front door. Is there anything we can do to keep it safe for now. I think it may be doing this because of weather we have had the last few days.
Sorry for the late reply. I hope your Robin made it through the bad weather and now doesn’t feel it has to decorate your porch with its stash! I haven’t heard of Robins doing that before–thanks for sharing!
Hi,
Looking out the window just now I saw three robins that has been hanging around the backyard ever since I started feeding the sparrows with a birdfeeder which also attracts squirrels and pigeons. I did not know that they remain here in Toronto during the winters. Is there a way that I can perhaps provide them with shelter such as a carpeted birdhouse during the winter months?
They seem to do fairly well if they can find a spot out of the wind such as a spruce tree. Unlike in the summer, they don’t feel obliged to stay in one yard. Instead, they group up and fly around the neighbourhood taking shelter here and there and finding food, mostly small fruit like decorative crabapples and mountain ash and dogwood berries, where they can. Since they have no nesting instinct at this time of year, I’m not sure they would take advantage of a bird house or roost. I hope they keep visiting your yard!
Hi everyone . i am worried about my female robin(i think) . I believe there are 4 or so males . i have watched robin glide across the length of the yard into the window ,a moment later it is pounding on windows and doors. i have covered windows so they couldnt see themselves. none of the neighbours have . why is he doing this?
As you suggest, usually they see their own reflection and consider it a competitor for the territory. It’s very unusual for them to hurt themselves trying to chase off this reflection of themselves, and eventually they usually give up and move on. Sorry they are so persistent at your house!
I have a robin’s nest in a tree close to my bedroom window. I joke with my neighbours that the empty nest is “for rent” and of course they look at me oddly. However, I have had robins “rent” it twice now. The latest one arrived the other day while I was looking longingly at the empty nest. I couldn’t believe how she just flew in and deposited herself so adroitly. I joke with my family and neighbours that I am expecting “winged” grandkids”.
How lovely to have a “bird’s eye view” of the nest!
I was surprised to see a robin on the highbush blueberry today, (Jan 3) just north of Barrie. Might go to town to get mealworms.
While I’m sure they would love some protein, they will do pretty well on fruit, too. Hope your robins have a nice mild winter!
Hello there and thank you for your wonderful article which I found while trying to figure out this morning why I have a flock of 30 or so robins in my Juniper tree in Toronto. What a fantastic sight this time of year. They are feasting on Juniper berries. In all my years I’ve never seen this. John.
Great that you are able to feed the flock and help them make it through till spring!
02/23/21. Walked outside this morning 30-40 robins in our berry tree chirping and flying back and forth all over the place . W have seen this go on every 2-3 years around the same time of year .
Interesting–I wonder if they remember certain places to find food or if they just explore and re-find them each year?
I saw a male Robin in a fruit today.
I was able to get very close and talk to it.
I prayed out loud that it makes through the winter.
I think this is the latest (November 15) that I have ever seen one.
Hopefully it will be a survivor!
Jan 11 2021
I saw 3 robins in Peterborough On 1st time I’ve seen robins in the winter. Such a pleasant surprise.
They always brighten my day, too!
Robins never come to my winter bird feeders, which normally are frequented by mostly cardinals. But I have seen Robin this year, just yesterday in my yard. That means spring is here!(? Still so cold) I can hear the song now. Robins make nest, small with twigs and straws on top. The small eggs are blue, very beautiful. But at that time, father robin become extremely aggressive. Whenever I walk by minding my own business, it swoosh down at me so fast, I am afraid it will poke my eyes! Baby Robins are very ugly, dark feather with specks all over. But not long after they look the same as grown up and I won’t be able to tell who is who anymore. My yard is my paradise with many other things happening, that is if you look careful enough!
Sounds like you have a very protective father Robin ! I hope this year he lets you pass by safely.
I forgot to mention my location. It’s in southwestern Scarborough.
Sounds like a fun thing to watch especially with this slow spring!
Thank you for an excellent article on what robins eat…. today, Unfortunately, they are cutting down a 100 year old sugar maple that houses so many nesting robins every spring- they just handed me a nest with 4! beautiful, bright blue eggs and with a mask and gloves on I’m attempting to rehome it to one of the ledges I provide for them every spring in my backyard, but the parents don’t seem to be watching me … I’m wondering if the noise from the chainsaw has scared them off and if they will find the nest later 200 yards into my backyard instead? Luckily, there were no hatchlings yet, but I fear this big brood of 4 may be lost.? Any advice? Usually they will dive bomb anyone but me in the spring.
I was holding the nest high, hoping they were watching me but so far two hours later no luck.
Sorry I was unable to reply to your post till now. I hope things worked out for the robins.
A robin just landed in the beech tree outside my front window, January 7, 2024!!