Many people ask us how to distinguish male and female robins, especially when they spot two robins together in their garden. If you’ve seen two robins together, it’s likely they are a male and a female, as robins are fiercely territorial, and females will only enter a male’s territory during the breeding season.
The honest answer is: not easily. Although male robins are generally larger than females, there is overlap in size. Some females can be larger than some males, so size is not a reliable indicator. A female robin may weigh more when carrying eggs, but if you were to measure body parts such as wings or tail, males are typically larger on average.
A common belief is that male robins have brighter orange-red breasts, or “badges”. While recent spectrometry studies suggest males might have slightly brighter plumage, there is significant overlap between the sexes. This makes it nearly impossible to tell them apart just by comparing two robins.
There is a subtle difference in head shape. Viewed from above, females tend to have a more V-shaped peak on their heads, while males’ peaks are squarer or U-shaped. However, there’s overlap here too, so this method isn’t foolproof if you’re only observing one or two robins.
Females lack red breasts: False. Both male and female robins have red breasts.
Only females have white wing bars: Also false. White wing bars are present in both sexes.
Males are brighter overall: While there’s some truth to this, the difference is too subtle to distinguish without advanced tools.
Unlike chaffinches, for example, where males and females are easy to tell apart, robins are more like goldfinches, with overlapping characteristics that make them statistically distinguishable but which are not visually reliable.
One of the few reliable ways to differentiate male and female robins is by observing their behaviour during breeding season:
Courtship feeding: If you see one robin feeding another, the feeder is the male, and the recipient is the female.
Nest building or egg incubation: These are tasks performed solely by the female.
Mating: If you’re fortunate enough to witness two robins mating, it’s obvious which is which!
In gardens and parks, the robin you see is more likely to be a male, as garden populations are often male-biased, even during breeding season.
Professional ornithologists and bird ringers with years of experience acknowledge that distinguishing male from female robins by sight alone is highly unreliable. The only way to be 100% certain is through DNA testing.
The American robin, despite its name, is very different from the European robin and is more closely related to blackbirds and thrushes.
It has grey-brown upperparts, a darker head and tail, and orange underparts with a white lower belly. Female American robins are similar to males but browner overall, with duller, less vibrant orange underparts. However, as with European robins, there is overlap between the sexes, so visual identification isn’t always conclusive.
In both European and American robins, identifying males and females can be tricky. Behavioural observation during breeding season is your best bet, but even then, certainty isn’t guaranteed without scientific methods like DNA testing.
54 Responses
I had a family of 4 robins on a light that led to my garage, they like to dive bomb me whenever I go into the garage to get food for my steers, not sure they like me but what can I do? ♀️
We have a pair in the garden. Less friendly since the second one arrived. Not many worms or insects, so feeding them on crushed cashews ’till we get some seed. They seem to like the high fat and immediatly spot when one of us does a deliveroo.
I have a robin that I call ‘bird’. This will be his second year. He had a wife last year and I thought maybe young ones too. Too many things to tell about them.
Have a single robin in my garden, quite shy of me but waits for me to bring worms, chatters a lot to me but I can’t hear it as I am deaf, great shame. Seems quite small and doesn’t look the picture of health and does some strange antics looking like it wants to puke up. Has taken a worm from my hand and hopefully it’s confidence will build it’s a battle of patience at the moment with me being bitten to shreds with mosquitos
I have a Robins nest with baby birds in my peach tree. Squrles come around but if they dare to go in the tree they will come down just as fast. Watching one day and one the birds flew to the ground and churped, the other came and went in the nest so this one flew off.. Like get here now and take care of these babbies I have things to do…lol so cute
I thought the robin that lives in my garden had been driven off by another but today the pair were together. The recent cold snap followed by a mild late December may have fooled them into thinking it’s spring.
I have two robins make a nest in the plant pot a decor not used the second one is in the outside loo I watch from my kitchen window with food I have to leave the door open so they can come go I will see if I can buy some meal worms for them yve
Hello,
We’ve had a Robin nesting by our lounge window and a baby emerged! We also have blue tits nesting in another nesting box…just arrived home and there’s a dead blue tit and a fat baby robin just inches away from one another?
Any idea what could’ve happened, no nest has been disturbed and the birds look almost perfect?
Where do robins go during the summer?
It depends on which part of the world they are in. Some robins in my state (Michigan) stay year-round. Others, they migrate South for a while and then move to the Mexican peninsula for Winter. Sorry, nobody answered you sooner.
Hello I have a Robin in the garden who will be 3 in August. He has been here since a baby. He goes off for the summer and then comes back each year. He sings softly to me. Feeds from my hand and comes when I call him. He has also imitated my wolf whistle and does this in the tree Robins were my dad’s favourite bird. He was there when I buried my 19 yr old dog and sang softly in the shrub next to it. I love him and he really has lifted my spirits since he first started visiting. A younger what I believ to be male has moved into the rear garden so ‘my’ Robbie has moved to the enclosed side area and front garden. I cannot believe the wonderful relationship we have. I have videos and photos of him
Please I would love to see the pictures? My name is Melody!
I think this is fascinating
that’s lovely….beautifully birds
How beautiful! You’re so lucky!
Similar story here. They are great friends. The blackbirds from my previous 2 homes were more friendly in that they came into the house or tapped the window if they saw me in the house and opened their beaks wide all threebirds get close to me but the 2 robins do land on my hand to feed or fly at me and turn last second to either land on my shoulder or head. They like moth grubs that I send off fir. The blackbirds love sultanas. This is great when very cold ir in summer when they feed their young.