If you want to give your loyal friends the food they love, keep reading for some helpful tips on what to feed robins in your garden.

So, what should you feed robins in your garden?

While it’s not uncommon to see a robin gleefully bouncing around with a beetle in its beak, knowing what you should be feeding robins in your garden will help them get what they need and encourage them to keep returning for more! Robins love munching on nuts, sunflower hearts, niger seeds, suet, fruit, crushed peanuts and even raisins. Our Robin Ready bird food ticks all the boxes for what robins enjoy – offering them a nutritious mixture of meaty mealworms, sunflower hearts and kibbled peanuts that are easy for their smaller beaks to feast on.

Where's the best place for feeding robins in your garden?

These confident little birds prefer to feed off the ground and often choose a ground feeder over a hanging bird feeder. And since they enjoy feeding from a flat surface, it makes sense to provide them with a bird feeder that lifts their food off the ground, so it’s easier for them and easier for us to maintain and ensure their feeders are clean and their food is in good condition.

Also, when bird food is scattered on the ground, it is more likely to get damp and even mouldy and rot if left for too long. So, by placing food on a level surface away from the cold, wet ground, we can keep an eye on its quality and know when to top it up. And we also get a better idea of the food they enjoy - this can help us decide if adding some straight bird food to their feeders would help them out even more!

Bird feeders for robins

• Ground Feeding Trays serve robins the food in the way they prefer, with the added benefit of lifting it off the cold, damp ground. Using a feeder like this and sprinkling the bird food across the surface will be more hygienic for them and stay fresher for longer.
• Bird Tables are like ground feeding trays, but the feeding platform is higher off the ground. Robins like this since they can see more of what’s happening around them while they feast! And they are also safer from predators like cats, who will not be able to sneak up as easily.
• Hanging Bird Feeders are not a robin’s favourite place to eat; if this is the only option, they will usually seek food elsewhere. However, they enjoy feeding on a hanging tray, which serves the same purpose as a ground feeding tray, only hanging higher from the ground. This also offers a similar advantage as a bird table as they can make a swift exit should a predator appear.

Robins are a gardener’s best friend

Robins have a very tame attitude towards humans, but when it comes to other birds, they can be quite territorial! Most species of wild birds come to your garden in groups (some even come in large flocks), but robins are usually seen on their own. For this reason, you will likely see the same robin feeding in your garden every time you leave food out. And we think it’s nice that a wild bird has chosen your garden to visit frequently and hang around with you while you do your chores!

Also, remember that although good food will attract robins to your garden, it’s essential to keep your bird feeders topped up and ensure they are clean. By doing this, you will know that your garden robins are getting the necessary nutrients and remove any spoiled or mouldy bird food.

And since they naturally like bugs and worms, you could let an area of your garden go wild. For example, creating a compost heap or planting some wildflower seeds will add to their natural habitat and create a haven for local wildlife.