BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Robin

ROBIN
Erithacus rubecula

• Population
changes

• Productivity
trends

• Additional
information

Conservation listings

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

Long-term trend

UK, England: shallow increase

UK population size

5,895,000 territories in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using CBC/BBS trend: BiE04, APEP06)

Status summary

Robins have increased markedly since the mid 1980s, according to both CBC/BBS and CES results, having been set back earlier by a succession of cold winters. Significant improvements have occurred concurrently in breeding performance, as measured by nest record data, due to reductions in nest failure rates at both egg and chick stages, although CES productivity measures have declined. The CES and BBS data show that marked and significant annual fluctuations occur, perhaps in response to winter weather, although these are not evident in the smoothed trends that are presented. Laying dates have advanced by almost a week since the 1960s. Numbers have risen widely in Europe since 1980 (PECBMS 2007).

Population changes

Table of population changes for Robin

Source	Period (yrs)	Years	Plots (n)	Change (%)	Lower limit	Upper limit
CBC/BBS UK	39	1967-2006	794	39	25	56
	25	1981-2006	1118	44	34	55
	10	1996-2006	2195	17	14	20
	5	2001-2006	2310	1	-1	3
CBC/BBS England	39	1967-2006	637	49	32	65
	25	1981-2006	891	52	39	62
	10	1996-2006	1730	20	17	23
	5	2001-2006	1808	3	0	4
CES adults	22	1984-2006	89	63	40	87
	10	1996-2006	101	9	0	18
	5	2001-2006	94	-3	-13	7
CES juveniles	22	1984-2006	94	26	9	51
	10	1996-2006	107	2	-5	10
	5	2001-2006	98	-5	-11	1
BBS UK	11	1995-2006	2037	17	13	20
	10	1996-2006	2096	16	13	20
	5	2001-2006	2310	3	0	5
BBS England	11	1995-2006	1600	20	18	24
	10	1996-2006	1643	20	17	23
	5	2001-2006	1808	5	3	7
BBS Scotland	11	1995-2006	166	16	1	28
	10	1996-2006	168	18	4	27
	5	2001-2006	175	4	-5	12
BBS Wales	11	1995-2006	181	12	3	20
	10	1996-2006	189	14	6	21
	5	2001-2006	218	-1	-6	4
BBS N.Ireland	11	1995-2006	78	11	-9	28
	10	1996-2006	84	3	-11	15
	5	2001-2006	96	-5	-13	4

CBC/BBS England graph

BBS N Ireland graph

Productivity trends

Table of productivity changes for Robin

Variable	Period (yrs)	Years	Mean annual sample	Trend	Modelled in first year	Modelled in 2006	Change
Clutch size	38	1968-2006	124	None
Brood size	38	1968-2006	169	Curvilinear	4.41 chicks	4.36 chicks	-1.1%
Daily failure rate (eggs)	38	1968-2006	188	Curvilinear	2.47% nests/day	1.03% nests/day	-58.3%
Daily failure rate (chicks)	38	1968-2006	162	Curvilinear	2.49% nests/day	1.77% nests/day	-28.9%
Laying date	38	1968-2006	120	Linear decline	Apr 28	Apr 22	-6 days
Juvenile to Adult ratio (CES)	22	1984-2006	98	Smoothed trend	113 Index value	100 Index value	-12%
Juvenile to Adult ratio (CES)	10	1996-2006	110	Smoothed trend	105 Index value	100 Index value	-5%
Juvenile to Adult ratio (CES)	5	2001-2006	100	Smoothed trend	97 Index value	100 Index value	3%

Additional information


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G., Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009). Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008. BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009