Robins: Christmas, grief and singing through the night
Robins: Christmas, grief and singing through the night
What do light pollution and postal workers have to do with red breasted birds?
Earlier this week I was standing in my garden past midnight and was surprised to find I could hear a bird singing. The bird was quite far away, so the song was faint and I couldn’t quite make out the tune… But somebody was definitely up in the middle of the night, singing a pretty little song. Who was it?
I went inside and started Googling. My search told me that robins, thrushes (including blackbirds) and nightingales all sing through the night. I did a bit more research and found that it’s the wrong time of year for nightingales to be here and probably the wrong time of year for thrushes to be singing, so I concluded I was probably hearing a robin. How festive!
Apparently both robins and thrushes are more likely to sing through the night in towns and cities, something Dr Davide Dominoni from Glasgow University believes is due to street lighting convincing the birds there is no end to the day.
Some other researchers think robins, who sing to defend their territory, are still singing in urban areas at night because it’s too noisy in the daytime. Dr Dominoni says that, either way, these environmental factors could have some physiological costs for robins, as "singing is a costly behaviour, it takes energy”.
"I think we should reduce the intensity of the light we put out, reduce the amount of light and try to think about the spectrum of the light we are putting out," Dominoni said. "In some cases, we can try to modify the street lamps, by putting shields on top to reduce light pollution."
Now I’m going to pay extra attention to the street lighting in my area and see if there’s anything that needs to change. I’m sure my MP would LOVE yet another email from me…
Do you live in an urban or rural area? Let me know if you can hear robins at night where you are - I’m intrigued!
Robins at Christmas
Why do we associate robins with Christmas? Well, robins are one of the few birds that sing all year round in the UK, and their red breasts certainly stand out in winter, especially if it’s snowy or frosty. But it seems their Christmas associations are more anthropomorphic…
Victorian postmen wore red uniforms, which earned them the nickname ‘robin redbreast’. Inspired by this, artists started illustrating cards featuring the birds delivering Christmas greetings… and the robin redbreast’s fate was sealed as a Christmas icon.
According to the RSPB, there are also biblical links to robins:
Another story goes as far back as 2000 years ago, where rumour has it, a small brown bird fanned the flames of a fire to keep the baby Jesus warm. Embers from the fire scorched its tiny chest, leaving it red-breasted forevermore.
Despite their sweet appearance and festive associations, Robins are known to be quite aggressive - their charming tune is actually a forceful claim to territory, and males use their red breast to settle territorial disputes (the females also have red breasts but they don’t use theirs for competitive purposes). As Bob Mortimer says, the robin can be “a bit of a hooligan”. However, most people I know are very fond of robins, some even finding them to have a significant spiritual meaning. “When a robin appears a loved one is near” is a well-known phrase, and robins bring comfort to those who are grieving. Tony Putman, a gardener/photographer from Kent, bonded with a robin over lockdown. “Bob” turned up at a time he “really needed a bit of help” and brought him great comfort.
What do you associate with robins? I’d love to hear your stories, so please share in the comments. I’ll be back in your inbox next week on the Winter Solstice!
Further reading and sources
Woodland Trusts - robin profile
Discover Wildlife - robin facts
BBC - Mystery of robins' nighttime singing probed
SS Great Britain shop - robin Christmas card
BBC - Tame robin becomes 'good friend' to aspiring photographer
Natural History Museum - robin profile
RSPB - Why are robins associated with Christmas?
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THANK YOU for alerting me to this special ep of painting birds! This is going to be one of my holiday treats.
This is a lovely post, Zabby.
I don't think I've heard any midnight robins near us (but if they're singing, I'm probably sleeping through it). We do get a few in our garden though and they're still enchanting, even though I see them most days.
My Mum definitely associates seeing a robin with my Nanna, her late Mum.
If we're out doing something together, she'll often keep her eye out for one. And then I can sense a subtle relief when we see Ms Robin. 'Aha. There she is'