Analysis: We associate robins with Christmas for reasons ingrained in our history, culture and popular fables
The robin is steeped in Christmas tradition, used to symbolise our native winter wildlife on jumpers, ornaments, wrapping paper and cards. The distinctive red breast certainly provides a visual contrast to autumnal or snowy landscapes, and they are often illustrated alongside winter foliage and colourful berries, such as holly and ivy, which robins have evolved alongside to consume during the winter months.
Do robins migrate?
One of the predominant reasons many people believe robins are associated with Christmas is that they do not migrate south for the winter. Our Irish population is largely sedentary, with most individuals not dispersing more than 10km from where they hatched. But this does not mean that all robins will never leave the metaphorical roost. In the UK, it is estimated that 5% of the robin population, mainly female birds, migrate to Spain and Portugal for a milder winter.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Mooney Goes Wild, Dr Gareth Arnott from Queen's University Belfast on his study which found that robins do not respond as fast when there is background interfering noise - which could lead to unnecessary fights over territory
In October 2024, BirdWatch Ireland reported a robin in West Cork that had been ringed in Calais, France over 800 km away two weeks earlier. This was the first recorded migration between France and Ireland, with experts suggesting that this bird may have migrated from further afield before it was ringed in France given the time of year. Many birds from higher and colder latitudes, such as Scandinavia, migrate to the UK to overwinter.
While such migrations have not been widely observed in Ireland, our winter population is often supplemented with Scottish birds, but this recent migration suggests this is a phenomena we may observe more in the coming years. Though there may well be more individual robins during the winter (and other birds for that matter, such as the blackbird), this is not the sole reason that robins are routinely top of the list in BirdWatch Ireland's Irish Garden Bird Survey and are at the forefront of our minds during the festive season.
Were robins at the first Christmas?
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Mooney Goes Wild, a special on the robin, the Christmas bird
As one of the most widespread birds globally, robins unsurprisingly have a grounding in Christianity. One fable notes the presence of a robin in the stable the night Jesus was born. As the fire began to extinguish and fearing her baby would be cold, Mary asked the animals for help. The only one to answer her calls was a small brown bird, who flew in and fluttered its wings, acting as a bellow to the fire. While tending the fire, the bird's breast was burnt bright red, yet it continued to fan the fire until it was lit, and the baby was safe and warm. Mary declared that the red breast would be a reminder of the blessed deed of the robin.
Another story states that upon seeing Jesus on his crucifixion, the robin tried to ease his pain by pulling out a thorn from his brow. During this gesture, some of Christ’s blood fell upon the robin’s breast, with the colouring seen as an act of kindness to be passed down through generations. Such religious connotations are clearly one of the reasons robins hold such a strong symbology with Christmas.
Which came first, the robin or the Christmas card?
Interestingly, the robin was originally called 'redbreast’, with the moniker Robin added as a sign of endearment. The same naming convention you may be familiar with for Jenny Wren, Tom Tit and Willy Wagtail . This naming coincided with the fact that Victorian postmen in the UK wore red and were affectionately called ‘Robin Redbreasts’ or ‘Robin Postmen’.
In the Victorian era, the excitement of the postage system and the novelty of receiving Christmas cards meant that people looked forward to receiving Christmas postage. Robin Postmen quickly became associated with the build-up to Christmas, and over time they were depicted on cards by the birds themselves, sitting on post boxes, carrying cards in their mouths, or more generally in a winter setting.
In reality, it is likely we associate robins with Christmas for all of the above reasons ingrained in our history and culture. There is no one definitive reason above all else that people have an affinity to such a widespread bird at this time of year. They are part of us, and for centuries, robins have adapted to live alongside us, which when we consider that most robins do not survive beyond 18 months, is an impressive feat.
Despite this, studies are highlighting that children are now struggling to identify many common birds and plants, with one poll finding that 25% of UK 5 to 11-year-olds cannot identify a robin from a photo. This opens the question of whether robins will continue to be associated with Christmas, or in what capacity in years to come.
Compared to many other bird species, robins are faring well, with relatively stable populations and over two million breeding pairs here in Ireland. Whatever the future holds in store for robins, we will be able to continue to enjoy their presence throughout many winters and Christmas’ to come.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
