European robin

It has a brown top and tail, a whitish belly with beige sides and a characteristic orange face and neck with a narrow grey-blue band around it. Both leaves are the same colour and size. Juveniles have a row of beige-orange spots in the middle of the closed wing. Beak black, legs brown to flesh-colored.

Although it is quite bold and we will see it pop up almost busting out of our bosom it mostly stays hidden in the vegetation from where we hear it calling or singing.

It is a European species as it has a permanent presence (all year round) in Western and Southern Europe up to Northern Turkey and a little west of the Black Sea and is a summer visitor (for breeding) in Eastern and Northern Europe up to Western and a little Central Russia. It overwinters in southern Europe, the Middle East (Syria and Iraq), some areas in Kazakhstan and coastal areas in North Africa.

It will be seen in forests, tree crops, tall shrublands, orchards, gardens and crops with hedgerows and trees and usually moves into the mid-heights of vegetation.

In Lesvos it is observed (and reproduces) all year round in forested areas with altitude, such as above Parakila, around Mount Olympos and around Lepetymnos. In winter, however, we receive a real invasion from more northerly populations and our olive groves, forests and yards really fill up!

• It feeds on invertebrates (ants, beetles, spiders, etc.), fruits and seeds and more rarely on small vertebrates (e.g. lizards). As regards fruits, it prefers those of the lentisc and other Mediterranean shrubs (terebinth, wild olive, myrtle).
• It follows larger animals moving on the ground (pheasants, moles, gardeners!!) to find its prey after they have dug.
• Both males and females, even in Winter (!), defend different territories and zealously chase other individuals away from there - so that only they can feed there.
• The high competition for territories leads them to sing even at night in areas with lighting (parks, gardens, etc.).
• The female also sings during Autumn and Winter (she has a territory to defend...) but in Spring, it is now exclusively the males who sing.
• If you want him to pop up in your yard, dig an area in the ground and he will surely come looking for food there.
• We would be remiss if we closed without mentioning that it is also known as "the Winter Nightingale"!
• Also that in Lesvos we call him "Yannell(i)"!