Robins are adorable creatures that are well known for their beautiful red and/or brown feathers, and robins are a common sight at backyard feeders across the country. In this blog post, we will share all the tips related to bird feeder, starting from how to select a bird feeder, how you can start feeding Robins and give you some tips and tricks to get Robins to eat from your backyard feeder.
Below is a simple infographic showing everything in a nutshell.
Before going into full details of the tips on bird feeder for Robins, below is a table for quick glance of all the tips in one place. First column categorizes the tips and second column has the list of tips.
| Type of Bird Feeder Tips | Tips |
| Tips to choose best feeder for Robins | Ground Feeding Trays are the best Avoid hanging bird feeders, but OK in worst case Feeders not vulnerable to Owls, Shrikes, Hawks Feeders should be durable Feeders should be weather proof Use tray style bird feeder for large yard Use tube or hopper style feeder in smaller yards Bird feeder should be easily refillable |
| Tips on placement of bird feeder | Place at 4 feet height for comfortable watching Place at 6 feet height if there other pets or ground predators Feeder with deflector keeps seeds dry in all seasons Place the feeder close to window Use hanging feeder and then tray feeder as backup underneath |
| Food Tips | Place food such as wild bird seed, black oil sunflower seeds, white proso millet, cracked corn, and safflower seeds Avoid bread Keep Fat Balls in wire mesh feeder Insects and Mealworms are Robin’s favorite Place fruits in the feeder |
Tips while choosing the best feeder for Robins
Robins are the opposite of shy and readily eat from various feeders, including ground feeders and hanging feeders. While the American robin is mostly considered a ground bird because it forages for worms and insects on the ground, it’s also capable of eating from bird feeders. It’s especially fond of fruit and mealworms. These tips will help you provide the best food and feeders to attract robins to your yard.
1. Ground Feeding Trays are best for Robins
Robins are natural ground feeding birds, hence feeding trays particularly on the ground or low heights are best for them to feel natural and their own self. If you can scatter in this feeder all the favorite food of Robins, that’s the best way.
2. Avoid hanging bird feeders as much as possible
Due to the same reason discussed earlier, Robins being natural ground feeding birds, avoid hanging bird feeders. However, it is not like you should never opt for them. Robins will get used to them as they visit their favorite food placed. But, there is much more chance of success of their presence if you can avoid hanging feeders.
3. Bird Feeders vulnerable to Robin predators is a No No !!!
Choose bird feeders that are not vulnerable to predators like Owls, Hawks, Shrikes. You can also make other arrangements for these predators around the bird feeder to distract these predators.
4. Durability
American robins are quite aggressive when it comes to feeding time, so it is best to purchase a product that is sturdy enough not to get damaged by these birds. A durable feeder will ensure that your birds get their daily dose of nutrients without any issues arising from poor quality materials used in manufacturing the product. This way, you can save money on repairs while protecting their well-being at home!
5. Weatherproofing
The weather can have an impact on our feathered friends; some may not be able to handle harsh conditions like rain or snow very well and may need extra protection from these elements when feeding outside during these months. If your bird feeder has a roof over its head, it’ll help keep water out and let dry seeds stay dry!
6. Size of Your Yard
The size of your yard will also help you determine which type of feeder is best for your needs. For example, a tray-style bird feeder would work well if you live in a large suburban neighborhood with many trees. However, if you live on more open land with less cover, such as a country home with no trees, go with a tube-style or hopper-style bird feeder instead; they are smaller and easier to mount on an existing structure without interfering with other plants or trees nearby.
7. Easy refilling
The design of your bird feeder should be such that it allows for easy refilling and should not require you taking down from its place each time you want to refill it. The feeders with a lid that opens up are good for this purpose, making them easier to fill and clean.
Tips on the placement of Robins bird feeder
The placement of a bird feeder is not only important for attracting the birds but also for ensuring that your bird feeder remains free from predators. If you place a bird feeder in a location that other animals can easily access, you may be putting your backyard at risk. To ensure that no predators can access your yard and destroy your bird feeders, you should place them in an area where other animals cannot access them.
1. Adjust bird feeder height based on your conditions
Placing your feeder within 4 feet of the ground allows you to watch the birds at eye level, but it also makes them vulnerable to cats, dogs, and other predators. If you have hungry pets, hang your feeders 6 feet off the ground, so they’re out of paw reach.
2. Place where seeds can be dry in all seasons
A feeder with a deflector shield beneath the feeding ports will help keep the seed dry and fresh by reducing exposure to sun, wind, and rain.
3. Place your feeder close to a window
Placing close to the window helps you watch birds from the comfort of your home. The safest place for a bird feeder is on a post or attached to a window with a squirrel guard. Hanging feeders from trees is dangerous for the birds as it often ends up being dinner for the squirrels and raccoons.
4. Place your tray feeder beneath your hanging feeder
As the robin is a ground-feeding bird, it’s best to place a tray feeder on the ground beneath your hanging feeder to catch spilled seeds that fall from the bottom of the feeder.
Place some plants that birds like around your garden; for instance, rosemary is loved by robins, and having some rosemary bushes or plants around your garden will attract the birds. You can also place plants with berries like holly around your home as thrushes, blackbirds, and waxwings love these.
Tips for food to be placed in the bird feeder
Robins are ground feeders and spend much of their time hopping around on lawns, looking for earthworms, insects, and other invertebrates. The winter diet includes fruits such as berries, crabapples, and mulberries. If there’s snow on the ground, these birds will scratch through it to find food they’ve cached or items that other animals have dug up.
To attract robins to your yard, provide a platform feeder with fresh fruit — especially berries. Raisins are also a great choice. Platform feeders help keep fruit clean and off the ground, away from insects and mould. Be sure to put the platform feeder close to trees or shrubs so that robins can easily escape from predators when they’re on the feeder.
Here are some tips to bear in mind when filling your feeders for robins:
1. Ingredients
Look for ingredients that birds love to eat, such as wild bird seed, black oil sunflower seeds, white proso millet, cracked corn, and safflower seeds.
The more kinds of food you offer on different feeders, the more kinds of birds you’ll attract to your yard. For example, songbirds like finches and chickadees love black oil sunflower seeds, and cardinals and jays like cracked corn and safflower seeds. You can buy mixtures that include several types of seeds or buy a different kind of food for each type of feeder.
2. Avoid Bread
Bread is a low-fibre, energy-poor food that needs to be eaten in high quantities to compensate for the lack of nutritional value. It does not contain enough fat or protein for birds, and it can also cause health problems, with the potential to swell up inside them.
3. Fat Balls
Fat balls are a great way of offering high-energy food throughout the day. If placed in a wire mesh feeder, birds can pick off bits of fat at their leisure without the risk of over-eating or having stale food leftover.
4. Insects
Robins will eat nearly any kind of insect, but they particularly like earthworms, which is why you might find them pecking around in your garden or lawn. Robins also like to eat grasshoppers and beetles. If there are no insects around or if it is too cold out for them to be active, you can offer mealworms instead. Mealworms are the larvae of the mealworm beetle and can be purchased from pet stores.
5. Fruit
Robins love fruit, so if you have some extra fruit lying around, put it out for the birds to enjoy. They enjoy eating cherries, grapes, and blueberries in particular.
Robins also like berries, so if you have berry bushes or trees in your yard, you should leave some of the berries on the bushes for the robins to eat. Ensure that if you have berry bushes for the robins to enjoy, you do not use any pesticides on them as this could harm the birds. Robins prefer blueberries, mulberries, and holly berries over other types of berries such as raspberries or blackberries.
When to put up the bird feeder
Robins are the first birds to return in the spring and usually show up in April. They start their migration north as soon as temperatures rise and ice thaws in lakes and rivers. The robin is one of the most recognized birds because it is the first bird that people see when spring arrives.
If you are passionate about birds, you must know that putting out a bird feeder attracts many different species of birds to your yard. If you have never done this before, you may not know that there is a right time to put out your bird feeder for specific types of birds.
The best time to put up a bird feeder for robins is in late March or early April. You can leave it out throughout the summer months and into fall.
If you want to attract robins, ensure that your bird feeder is clean and disinfected before filling it up with food. As they are territorial creatures, they will repeatedly return if they find a reliable source of food in your backyard.
When to put down the bird feeder
Many people believe that it is best not to put out food during the warmer months because robins tend to get their natural diet by eating worms and bugs from lawns and gardens.
You may want to put a bird feeder on the ground for your robins in the spring or summer. This is when these birds will be present on the ground year-round.
It may be best to wait until the weather is colder before putting out a bird feeder for robins in the fall. Robins are not really cold-weather birds, so if you have a feeder outside during this time of year, you may not see as many robins coming to it as you would expect.
It is usually better to wait until there are no other birds around in the winter before putting out a bird feeder for robins. Robins do not like being around large numbers of other birds, and they can easily get lost in large flocks.
Putting bird feeders on the ground for robins is a great idea. Robins like eating suet, but they can’t get to it when it’s in a traditional hanging suet cage. They don’t like the shape or texture of the mesh material.
To get robins to eat suet, you need to put it out on the ground or on a deck or other flat surface. Put the suet pieces in an open-topped container like a shallow bowl or on a platform feeder. You can also use a tray feeder. In addition to suet, robins also like mealworms and fruit. You can put these items out on the ground as well.
Conclusion
When it comes to feeding birds, robins are one of the best choices for feeding because they are easy to attract and are not fussy eaters. Overall, try not to make a big deal about the birdseed, or you will scare them away.
The whole point of setting up a robin feeder is to make it easy for them to eat and not attract any other birds that might steal from them. Also, if you have pets, be wary of letting your pets near the feeder. You don’t want your pet eating robin food and possibly getting sick, so keep an eye on your pets when they are around the feeder.
