Do you ever step outside and feel like somebody’s watching you? If you have robins nesting in your area, chances are these affectionate and chirpy little birds are watching you. And, when you’re under their gaze daily, it’s easy to wonder, ‘do robins recognise humans?’
While it is not inconceivable to believe that local birds will notice humans as they go about their day, some experts believe that robins detect these occurrences and can differentiate one human from another. So let’s find out the truth!
Do Robins Recognise Humans?[i]
The simple answer to this question is YES! Robins can recognise humans. For the most part, robins recognise a human’s traits, such as the way they move, walk and even facial features. For the most part, though, robins closely follow your schedule and movements, especially when food is involved.
Robins aren’t the only birds that recognise humans. Many other wild birds also pay close attention to their human neighbours. Birds such as magpies, crows and mockingbirds can also identify people. However, robins being friendly and a little curious means they pay very close attention to the humans in their neighbourhood.
Why Is A Robin Following Me?
Robins are opportunistic feeders and often follow larger animals hoping to find food. These cute little birds hover around in the hopes that a large mammal will disturb the soil and reveal a few tasty grubs and insects for them to feast on. When it comes to humans, they may hang around as you dig up your garden beds or to see when you toss kitchen scraps onto the compost pile. Perhaps you like to eat outside, which will attract local robins’ attention to see if pieces of anything you’re eating will fall to the ground so they can swoop in for a snack.
Most notably, if a robin perceives you as a friend and not a predator, they’ll likely follow you until you get inside the house or the car. And, if you often leave food out for them, you can expect these cute little songbirds to be a frequent companion.
How To Encourage Robins To Your Garden
In many cultures, having birds as frequent visitors to your garden is a sign of luck. Even if you aren’t into superstitions, there is no denying that having birds in your garden is charming, exciting and soothing for the soul. Robins, in particular, are also a little curious and friendly, so once you get on their good side, you can expect to enjoy their company regularly.
Here are some things you can do to entice robins into your garden:
Leave out food – Robins, like all birds, love to eat and need to do so to survive. The best way to encourage robins into your garden is to put food out for them. While you can scatter a variety of seeds on the ground, keep in mind that robins also eat insects, fruit and a few other choice foods. Setting bird feeders is the best option, especially if you can put the feeder on a tall stand or hang it from a tree. The higher up they are, the less they are at risk of being snared by a stalking predator like a cat. Add a variety of seeds to the feeders and give them a special treat of suet fat balls, which they’ll love during colder months when most of the worms and bugs are hibernating.
Turn soil over regularly – If you have a garden or compost pile, turn the soil over regularly. This will expose worms and insects under the ground, making it easier for robins to find food, and the softer soil also makes it easier for the robins to scratch the surface in search of food.
Plant berries – Robins love soft fruits such as berries, so if you have the space, plant some strawberries, raspberries, mulberries or blackberries. Plant enough, and you can supply enough for robins and yourself.
Set up bird nesting boxes – While robins need to eat, they also need to breed. When we clear land, many birds lose their natural habitat, which means fewer safe places to nest. Put a few bird nesting boxes around your garden and let these little birds move in.
Keep cats indoors – Robins are small birds and often fall prey to domestic cats. Therefore, whenever possible, keep your cats indoors.
Looking Out For Robins
The robin is an adorable, charming bird with a beautiful, uplifting singing voice. If you don’t pose a threat to them and give them the food they need to flourish, you may even be able to entice these little birds to come closer and eat from your hands. Once you can do this, there really is no doubt that the answer to ‘do robins recognise humans’ is an unequivocal yes, especially their favourite ones!
Sources
[i] https://www.groundfeeders.com/do-robins-recognize-humans/
I fed a Robin throughout a nesting season last June. In a few weeks, he grew to trust me enough that he would land on my hand and as someone else said here, he would load up on mealworms and just study me, like he was staring into my soul or trying to figure out “What’s the catch buddy? You’re just giving this away?!”
One day in February this year, he stopped coming. I kept trying for a few days but reluctantly resigned myself to the idea that something had finally got him. I didn’t see a Robin in our gardens since.
Two days ago, a young Robin visited for the first time in months, so I started feeding it. Next thing I know, an adult turned up. Strangely it came straight up to my feet and turned its back to me. On a whim, I held my hand out and lo he flew onto it, studying me. From the markings, I determined that it was the same one that I had befriended but hadn’t seen for 4 months! The young one turned out to be his fledgling. So yes, I think that they can recognise a human.
He has now started to land on my daughter’s hand when I’m there. It’s something special we’ve shared now and I hope she will remember it in years to come.
When a bird that small and vulnerable decides to take a chance on you, that to me is a wonderful life affirming thing
I have a couple of robins that seem to recognise me and ask for mealworms, I am happy to oblige with fresh worms on tap! But it amazes me that they come right up and do seem to be asking for food.
I have a robin who built a nest on our wood beams on our porch. While she was building it we would be in and out. She lays on her eggs a couple times a day. She’s up to 3 eggs now, they are so pretty. We don’t dare touch them, my husband who is tall takes the pictures for us to see. It’s as if she knows we’re here and we are going to help protect her and her eggs. They are beautiful creatures and I pray she doesn’t abandon her eggs due to us going on the porch. And suggestions regarding this issue would be greatly appreciated.
I have a Robin in my garden which regularly follows my dog. Sometimes even into the kitchen, it’s quite cute to see my Newfoundland bimvling around with a Robin hopping after her
I love Robins, and had one almost eat from my hand a few times but noise frightened them off and my heart went from Joy to sadness, but being so close to this tiny tiny amazing bird I felt wonderful. It was how they would just appear in front of me on a branch I would say Hi and always feel at peace with them around. Today 10th August 2023 my sister phoned me to say a Robin walked into her kitchen through the opened door. Gosh how wonderful is that’s.
Regards
Carmel x
I have a Robin that comes in the house and sits by me. He follows me into the greenhouse and sits on the bench while I’m planting. He follows me to my car and meets me when I return. is this normal?
I have a certain whisle call and the I get a visit from more than one to feed on the grapes and blueberries! I feel as if I’m being trained by them to get on a schedule for feeding them. One in particular responds to my voice when I tell it good morning and then feed it!
I have a robin that comes within a foot of me
Sometimes he will just stare at me even though I have put food down for him
Thanks for the information. Robin has been following me around my yard. If I walk towards it it only hop back 2 feet from its for foot away position. When I’m busy, not looking, it will come within 2 feet of me. Though I don’t believe in such things it was so common that the bird which seem to appear from nowhere and be hopping around my yard when I came outside, it started to feel like a relative from the other side. I wondered if it was having trouble flying, so I put cracker crumbs out, and it seemed disinterested like it wasn’t really hungry. It just seem to be looking around across the street and generally just enjoying the good weather with me, so it didn’t seem to be hungry, or looking for food, It’s strangely acted as if it knew me personally, but you have clarified the situation because I was digging to bury underground sprinklers for a few days and although we came across no worms We were both keeping an eye on the situation.
We have a Robin coming into our garden every day, it’s comforting to see him. Food is out daily
I love Robin and will try to encourage them to come to my garden I think the pigeons keep them away