Overview

• Bird specialists highlight sunflower hearts as a top choice for robins, offering an easy, nutritious way to draw them in.
• Robins prefer to feed low, so ground-level trays or open platform feeders are recommended over hanging feeders.
• With colder weather approaching, gardeners are urged to offer suet pellets, fat balls, mealworms, and berries to help robins maintain energy, as they can lose up to 10% of body weight overnight in winter.
• Safety guidance warns against bread, milk, and large dried pulses or grains, and advises keeping food dry since damp or mouldy feed can be dangerous.
• Planting holly, ivy, pyracantha, cotoneaster, guelder rose, crabapple, hawthorn, or rowan provides lasting berries and cover, while leaf litter supports insect prey and consistent feeding encourages repeat visits.