The robin that follows you

Six birds you might see from the kitchen window. Move your pointer and yours will hop, run or fly after you. Stand still and watch what it does. Choose a different bird at the bottom, and tap the notes to open them.

01 · GardenersThe gardener's shadow

Robins often follow gardeners about, waiting for worms and grubs to be turned up by the spade. In the wild they follow animals that disturb the soil.

02 · SongSinging all year

Robins are one of the few birds that sing right through winter, and both the males and the females sing to defend their patch.

03 · TerritorySmall but fierce

They look sweet, but robins are very territorial and will chase off, and even fight, other robins that come into their patch.

04 · NightNight singers

Robins living near street lights sometimes sing at night, which people often mistake for a nightingale.

05 · ColourAn orange breast

The breast is really orange. When robins got their name, English didn't yet have the word "orange" for a colour.

06 · FavouriteBritain's favourite bird

In a big public vote in 2015, the robin was chosen as Britain's favourite bird.

Meet them all

Who's who at the bird table

European robin

Erithacus rubecula

Size: About 14cm long
Look for it: All year round
Where: Gardens, parks, hedges and woods

Britain's favourite garden bird, with its orange-red breast and bright black eye.

Blue tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Size: About 12cm long
Look for it: All year round
Where: Gardens, parks and woods, often at feeders

A tiny acrobat in blue, yellow and white, always busy and always on the move.

Wren

Troglodytes troglodytes

Size: About 10cm long
Look for it: All year round
Where: Hedges, gardens, woods, almost anywhere with cover

A tiny brown bird with a cocked-up tail and a voice far bigger than it is.

Blackbird

Turdus merula

Size: About 25cm long
Look for it: All year round
Where: Gardens, parks, hedges and woods

Glossy black with a golden beak if he's a male, warm brown if she's a female, and a beautiful song.

Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Size: About 18cm, with long tail streamers
Look for it: April to September
Where: Farms, fields and open country near water

A fast, glossy-blue flyer with a red face and long forked tail, here for the summer.

Great spotted woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Size: About 23cm long
Look for it: All year round
Where: Woods, parks and gardens with big trees or feeders

Black and white with a flash of red under the tail. You often hear it drumming before you see it.

Through the year

When to look for them

The green months are when you're most likely to see each one in Britain. The animal following you is shown in red.

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Robin

Blue tit

Wren

Blackbird

Swallow

Woodpecker

Make room for them

Six easy ways to help

Food

Put out the right food

Sunflower hearts, seed mixes and fat balls suit most garden birds. Blackbirds and robins prefer food on the ground or a table.

Hygiene

Keep feeders clean

Dirty feeders spread disease between birds. Wash them regularly and move them around the garden now and then.

Water

Add a bird bath

Birds need water to drink and to keep their feathers in good condition, all year round. Keep it shallow and top it up with fresh water.

Homes

Put up a nest box

A box with a small round hole suits blue tits. An open-fronted box tucked into ivy or a hedge suits robins and wrens.

Cover

Plant a hedge or shrubs

Thick shrubs give birds somewhere to hide, roost and nest, and berries such as hawthorn and holly feed them in winter.

Worms

Leave some mess

Leaf litter and a rougher patch of lawn are full of worms and insects, which is what most garden birds feed their chicks.

Now go and listen

Open a window early in the morning. Most of the birds on this page will tell you they're there before you see them.

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The robin that follows you