Gardeners are being urged to avoid doing this one thing to prevent scaring away Robins this Christmas.
The UK’s favourite bird is starting to make frequent appearances in gardens as their bright red breast is spotted throughout the festive period.
A favourite for Christmas cards, the vibrant bird is easily recognisable with the orange-red breast stretching up to its neck and face.
However, one garden change during the winter can result in a disruption to their nests.
Despite being an incredibly tolerant species regarding nest disturbance, pruning plants can have a major impact on the robin’s hatching space.
Robins have been known to nest in some weird and wonderful places but they are often seen nestled close to the ground, in or under bushes. The female robin builds up a cup-shaped nest using a mixture of findings from moss to grass, deadleaves and sticks.
Breeding season can start as early as January for the winter bird, but often starts around March.
Robins will begin to lay their eggs between mid-April and mid-August, with a clutch being made up of around 4-6 eggs. It takes just 13 days for chicks to hatch, fleeing the nest approximately two weeks later.
Robins are furious defenders of their territory, therefore pruning can trigger their territorial behaviour if their nest becomes exposed. Often found in woodlands, gardens, parks and hedgerows, robins will sing to defend their space.
When out of their nests, the red breasted birds are usually quite tame. They can be easily spotted perched on top of a branch. They typically eat fruits, seeds and insects as well as earthworms.
They are often spotted on the lookout in gardens looking for worms among the plants.
Despite being associated with Christmas, Robins are in fact threatened by harsh winters. The fiery little birds can lose up to 10% of their body weight in just one single freezing winter night.
It’s therefore important they build up their fat reserves. Keen bird lovers can help prevent this by offering bird food.
