Funny Birds Can Yiu Rell Which Ine Is the Male

How Can You Tell Male And Female Robins Apart?

We get a lot of people asking us this question, particularly when they have spotted two robins together in their garden. If you have seen two robins together then it is likely that they are a male and a female as robins are fiercely territorial and females will only enter a male's territory for breeding season.

But how can you tell which is which?

The honest answer is that you can't. Although male robins are on average larger than female robins some females will be larger than some males which means you can't use the comparative size between a pair as a reliable guide. A female may be heavier when she is carrying eggs, but will still be smaller on average if you were to measure her body parts, such as her wings and tail.

A lot of people think you can distinguish male robins from females by his brighter orange breast, or badge. And although recent spectrometry studies seem to confirm this, there is considerable overlap between the sexes, so it is virtually impossible to tell if you are only comparing a pair of robins.

There is a subtle difference between the shape of the peak on the head when looking from above. Females have more of a V-shape whereas the males' peaks are squarer and more U-shaped, but again there is an overlap between the sexes so if you only have two robins to compare you won't be able to tell.

A surprising number of people think that female robins don't have red breasts – they do. And the white wing bars which many claim are only present in female robins are in fact present in both sexes.

Like goldfinches, for example, the overlap in characteristics between male and female robins means the sexes are only statistically distinguishable, rather than reliably distinguishable, like, say, chaffinches

One of the few ways you can tell is by observing their behaviour during breeding season. If you see two robins engaging in courtship feeding, then it will be the male who is feeding the female. If you see a robin building a nest or incubating eggs that will be a female. And if you're lucky enough to see robins copulating then it will be pretty obvious which one is the male and which one is the female.

Types Of Ducks

Do Robins Fight To The Death?

British Garden Birds

Robin

If you've spotted a robin in a garden or a park then that increases the chances that the robin is a male, as even in breeding season populations in gardens are usually more male-biased.

Even professional ringers and ornithologists with years of experience admit that determining the difference between male and female robins by eye alone is unreliable. The only way to be 100% sure is to do a DNA test.

41 Responses

I have two robins make a nest in the plant pot a decor not used the second one is in the outside loo I watch from my kitchen window with food I have to leave the door open so they can come go I will see if I can buy some meal worms for them yve
Hello,
We've had a Robin nesting by our lounge window and a baby emerged! We also have blue tits nesting in another nesting box…just arrived home and there's a dead blue tit and a fat baby robin just inches away from one another?
Any idea what could've happened, no nest has been disturbed and the birds look almost perfect?
Hello I have a Robin in the garden who will be 3 in August. He has been here since a baby. He goes off for the summer and then comes back each year. He sings softly to me. Feeds from my hand and comes when I call him. He has also imitated my wolf whistle and does this in the tree Robins were my dad's favourite bird. He was there when I buried my 19 yr old dog and sang softly in the shrub next to it. I love him and he really has lifted my spirits since he first started visiting. A younger what I believ to be male has moved into the rear garden so 'my' Robbie has moved to the enclosed side area and front garden. I cannot believe the wonderful relationship we have. I have videos and photos of him
1. Please I would love to see the pictures? My name is Melody!
I have a robin who has basically moved into my house full time.. started off staying during the day and is now sleeping over ar night. Perches on lightfitting in sunroom has been staying overnight since november, now february . Sings too..
1. Woww! That's fantastic..
I have two robins coming in my garden but can't get them to come to me but would like them too
1. I have a robin been coming for 3 years now, been feeding of my hand for past 2. Now I just open window and he flys onto my hand to feed. He goes away all summer, and it's amazing to get him back year after year. Get close to it by leaving food when he is near and get him confident around u. Its amazing how quickly they bond with u.
  1. Hi Susan I also have a Robin that's been coming for 3 years. and feeds out of my hand He goes away in the summer as well
2. If you buy some live mealworms the robin will come all the time and even land on your hand to eat them. It does take time and trust.
It is there peak on head ,that's proves Male ir female .the males is rounder,and the females is pointed,
A robin has been coming to my garden to feed and we became so close then he brought another robin to feed as well, I have been feeding them everyday. All of a sudden the second robin disappeared and he/she doesn't come anymore to my garden, The first Robin still comes on daily basis to feed but after his mate disappeared he doesn't come close as he used to do, I wonder what happened .
This robin has been coming to feed for over a year now and I can't imagine my day starting without seeing him ❤️
I have a tame robin in my garden. We've been 'friends' for over a year. Over the past few weeks he has introduced me to the 'wife' by feeding her in front of me. Today he came to ask for meal worms and regurgitated a bit of food for me too!!! It happened twice. Is there evidence/examples of robins (male) wooing humans as well as their mates?? Extraordinary behaviour!
1. This is so lovely! I've been befriending a robin too but we're not that close yet. 🙂
2. did you eat the food?after all its gone to alot of trouble to get that for you.
We have robins nesting under our carport. It's delightful to see ❤️ They seem confident that we won't interfere with the nest and both parents are busy feeding their young. Can't wait to see the babies fledge if we're in the right place at the right time
We have a dear little Robin who comes down several times a day to feed. The thing is he/she only has two feathers on their head, and we wonder what has happened to them?
1. Molting? Just a guess. I know cardinals do this in the summer. They sometimes look very funny with their little mohawks. New feathers come back in for fall/winter.
We have 2 robins coming to our garden and now I will try and look out the the difference
I found this info on robins very helpful, thank you. I now know it is a female who we've had the pleasure of watching build a nest in the jasmine growing up the back of our bungalow, and a male who is doing a fantastic job of keeping her strong by feeding her then doing a little dance strutting and flapping about proving just how handsome he is.
Q: re. The nest : I'm a little concerned as it is a very sunny spot with little shelter, I hate to think of the chicks being somewhere too hot. Is a south facing nest site usual? If we have freakishly hot weather is it safe? Thanks so much, Laura x
Can anyone tell me whether it is only the males that sing at the tops of trees. We have four Robins in different parts of the garden. Three of them tend to try to get to the highest bits of their areas and sing – I'd always assumed they were males – but now am not so sure. Do females do the same territorial stuff
1. No, both male and female Robins sing. I guess females are less territorial but they would fight off an intruder together with the male.
We have just discovered 2 eggs in a nest in our greenhouse, we have seen a Robin building this nest. Should she be sitting on them now? Will she come back. ?
Been seeing two robins in our garden in the last week last time this morning 🥰
A pair of robins have just taken over my toolshed. One pair of birds building three nests! I will have to see which one, if any, they decide to use.
I've had the immense pleasure of watching a Robins nest being built, the work over a few days was amazing! sadly the garden has gone quiet? No idea why but most birds seem to be steering clear at the moment, fingers crossed the come back soon would love to hear the cheep of a few baby robins
1. Maybe a sparrow hawk has made a visit . We get one every now and then and all the small birds disappear for about 4 days .
I have a Robin who hops around me when I'm feeding the birds he eats out the jug of food and warbles to me I'm pretty sure he's male because he's so bold
I have just spotted one robin feeding another, this seemed a bit confusing, but have read above I'm now much wiser!
Wow I just got in from a walk in hyde park in Cheshire I had a lovely little Robin eating seed from my hand I'm still in shock made my week that . 😊
Thanks for the info. We've always had the one Robin i call fatty . He's a lovely round shape. We now have 2 that visit the garden and eat the seed together . The other being a slim build smaller Robin. Hopefully it's a male & female nesting nearby .
I have a few in my garden the past few weeks always had one but two do them we're not sure but looked like they were fighting
1. They probably were fighting as Robin's are fiercely territorial. Even female Robin's only enter in mating season
I had two red-breasted robins in my garden – I just assumed they were gay!
We had 3 together in our garden recently (January) and I have seen 6 or more together in Spain in a clearing about the size of a living room, so anything is possible.
I've noticed that some robins seem to have a paler semi-circle around the eye (the back of the eye) Is this sexual dimorphism or just a variation?
ihave 2 robins come to feed one has red breast and one has white marks each side of their breast is that a male and female
Rubbish. Male has a rounded bib. And the female has a bust shape bib.
1. Hiya Dave is that really a fact? Are there not overlaps between male and female with that charateristc too? Thanks. Dean
2. You sure that's not just something someone made up because "boobs"? 🤔
  1. Dave's having a a bit of a joke me thinks!