# Robins in the snow ??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035 "2018-03-22T18:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/1 "2018-03-22T18:24:21Z")
The first robins arrived yesterday. Now there’s a foot of snow on the ground. Anything I can do to help out the robins or is this just a situation for Darwin to handle? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/2 "2018-03-22T20:52:56Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > The first robins arrived yesterday. Now there’s a foot of snow on the ground. Anything I can do to help out the robins or is this just a situation for Darwin to handle? In the UK at least, [our robins are inextricably linked to snow](https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=robin+in+the+snow&rlz=1CAACAG_enGB645GB645&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZ5pHb54DaAhViI8AKHdOHAtIQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=677), they do fine (though some nuts and fat balls keep them fighting fit…and I do mean fighting fit, they are quarrelsome and violent little buggers) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/3 "2018-03-22T20:55:27Z")
They’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/4 "2018-03-22T21:04:49Z")
Around here on the rare occasion it snows I always notice birds standing around in it. (They probably stand around when there isn’t snow, too, but the snow makes them more visible.) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/5 "2018-03-22T21:27:35Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > In the UK at least, [our robins are inextricably linked to snow](https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=robin+in+the+snow&rlz=1CAACAG_enGB645GB645&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZ5pHb54DaAhViI8AKHdOHAtIQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=677)… What does that mean? Something to do with their residence/nesting calendar? (Not sure how to say this right.) And you know what? **Colibri** hasn’t shown up, so take it away! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/6 "2018-03-22T21:52:55Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > What does that mean? Something to do with their residence/nesting calendar? (Not sure how to say this right.) > > And you know what? **Colibri** hasn’t shown up, so take it away! All I know is that the European robin is of absolutely no relation to the American robin, other than the coincidence of coloration, so whatever you say about robins in the UK, and no matter how pretty the pictures of them in the snow are, it will be of limited relevance to American robins (thrushes) in Eastern Pennsylvania, where **Turble** is. (At least according to his profile.) Nonetheless, I’ve never seen a mass robin kill-off just because of one untimely snow. I’m sure they’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/7 "2018-03-22T21:53:14Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > What does that mean? Something to do with their residence/nesting calendar? (Not sure how to say this right.) European Robins are a different species than US ones, and within the Europeans ones British and Irish ones seem to have their own set of behaviours. Basically they really thrive in people’s gardens, and the males are really not shy at all, despite their diminutive size. They are resident all year round, distinctive and kinda in your face. A robin red breast with a snowy background is a really common Christmas motif. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/8 "2018-03-22T22:54:52Z")
This time of year, American Robins are probably mostly eating berries and fruits that are still hanging on trees or shrubs, so their food will not be covered by the snow. If you want to help them out, you could leave raisins and currants for them but in general they’ll get along fine. During a snowstorm, they will shelter in some dense tangle. More [here.](http://www.startribune.com/birding-robins-in-the-snow-are-a-less-rare-sight/190895191/) ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/9 "2018-03-22T23:33:27Z")
Ok – thanks all. I feed seeds and suet but don’t know much about the worm and berry eaters. Lots of woodland and bushes nearby so it seems there’s no problem. I’ll set some raisins out. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/10 "2018-03-22T23:38:34Z")
I saw several out today after yesterday’s snow, looking none the worse for wear. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/11 "2018-03-23T01:23:20Z")
I pretty much see robins year-round – in fact, I’m fond of pointing out a robin in the dead of winter and saying “Look! It’s the first robin of spring!” In the winter I often see them perched in our crabapple trees, chowing down. I’m sure they’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/12 "2018-03-23T03:23:06Z")
I’ve never seen a robin turn down mealworms left broadcast on the ground. But I can’t speak for robins’ behavior in snow much since, you know, South Carolina isn’t exactly ground zero for many snowstorms. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robins-in-the-snow/811035/13 "2018-03-24T14:32:28Z")
The snow is mostly gone, the robins are back, a squirrel enjoyed the raisins, and I read up and learned a bit about robins. All is as it should be.