What do Robins (birds) eat?

Alfasudcrazy

A little Robin has taken refuge from the weather in my car garage for the past week. This is a pretty large garage so plenty of room to fly around etc.

The dogs who also reside here in their kennel are not very impressed by this development but have come to accept the little bird now and take no notice.

There is a large amount of barley straw in it too and I am sure the bird has been surviving on the seeds from that or the dogs food - I leave plenty of water trays in there for the dogs so I assume the bird has been drinking from those but I do leave the door open for part of the day so the bird can fly in and out.

I want to leave proper food for the robin in the garage but don't know what to get - suggestions?

Mongarra

We have different feeders in our (rural) garden. Peanuts in 2 feeders which the small birds (sparrows and blue-tits) like, breadcrumbs watered and mixed with a little Alpen (wagtails and blackbirds) and fat balls which they all seem to like, including a couple of robins. So I would suggest the fat balls for your guest.

reverenddave

soft bread crumbled up
or if you can get to a pet shop those hangy uppy bird seed thingys

toadfly

We have a bird feeder in the garden, its the wire tube one. Have layered it with handful of peanuts and fat balls. They seem to like it!

squeakyduck

A bird feeder or some nice soft bread broken up should be good enough for the poor little thing or maybe some bird seed?

Zapperzy

Bread really isin't a good food for birds, especially this time of year, bread swells up in their stomachs and makes them feel full but it has very little nutritional value, ideally something high in fat (like peanuts or sunflower seeds) is good for this time of year.

If you feed fat balls take the netting from around them off, little birds can get their feet caught up in them and if they fly off quickly if spooked by something it can injure their feet. You can mash them up and put them onto a table or you can buy fat ball holders.

If you can get some cheap cookeen (or similar cooking fat) you can melt it down and add all sorts from the cupboards to it, ends of old cereal boxes, fruit etc. and when it cools and solidifies it makes a good food.

I don't know what robins specifically like but I have peanut feeders, fat balls, bird cake and a table with scraps on it and we have some robins visiting.

sotisme

I feed the birds peanuts and robins are always at the feeder!

Bullseye1

Earthworms, grubs and insects.

leopardus

You can get mealworms from petshops. Lots of birds really love them, so much so that they'll eat them out of your hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkidUA4R5YA

Mongarra

There was someone on Derek Mooney's radio programme last week who recommended grated cheese. I left some out over the weekend and the birds finished every bit. Not sure if the Robin was a participant.