BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Robin

ROBIN
Erithacus rubecula

Conservation listings

Europe: no SPEC category (concentrated in Europe, conservation status favourable)
UK: green

Long-term trend

UK, England: shallow increase

Distribution maps

Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.

Status summary

Robins have increased markedly since the mid 1980s, according to both CBC/BBS and CES results. Significant improvements have occurred concurrently in breeding performance, as measured by NRS data, due to reductions in nest failure rates at both egg and chick stages, although CES productivity measures have declined. The CES and BBS graphs show that marked and significant fluctuations occur, perhaps in response to winter weather; these are not evident in the CBC/BBS graphs, where smoothed trends are presented. The reasons for these changes remain to be investigated.

Table of population changes for Robin

Source Period
(yrs) Years Plots
(n) Change
(%) Lower
limit Upper
limit Alert Comment

CBC/BBS UK 35 1967-2002 604 40 25 53

25 1977-2002 769 39 27 48

10 1992-2002 1576 30 23 34

5 1997-2002 2079 16 13 19

CBC/BBS England 35 1967-2002 491 50 35 66

25 1977-2002 620 48 35 61

10 1992-2002 1257 37 30 41

5 1997-2002 1639 20 17 22

CES adults 18 1984-2002 88 54 . .

10 1992-2002 103 24 . .

5 1997-2002 102 15 . .

CES juveniles 18 1984-2002 92 24 . .

10 1992-2002 108 4 . .

5 1997-2002 109 2 . .

BBS UK 9 1994-2003 1749 17 13 21

BBS England 9 1994-2003 1374 25 20 29

BBS Scotland 9 1994-2003 150 -4 -17 11

BBS Wales 9 1994-2003 153 12 1 23

BBS N.Ireland 9 1994-2003 62 21 -5 53

CBC/BBS England graph

BBS N Ireland graph

Table of productivity information for Robin

Variable	Period (yrs)	Years	Mean annual sample	Trend	Predicted in first year	Predicted in last year	Change	Comment
Clutch size	34	1968-2002	118	None
Brood size	34	1968-2002	158	None
Daily failure rate (eggs)	34	1968-2002	176	Curvilinear	0.0242 nests/day	0.0103 nests/day	-0.0139 nests/day
Daily failure rate (chicks)	34	1968-2002	148	Curvilinear	0.0242 nests/day	0.0167 nests/day	-0.0075 nests/day
Laying date	34	1968-2002	116	Curvilinear	day 117	day 108	-9 days
Percentage juveniles (CES)	18	1984-2002	97	Smoothed trend	132 productivity index	102 productivity index	-24%
Percentage juveniles (CES)	10	1992-2002	112	Smoothed trend	125 productivity index	102 productivity index	-20%
Percentage juveniles (CES)	5	1997-2002	113	Smoothed trend	118 productivity index	102 productivity index	-15%


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004. BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006