Gardeners urged to leave one food item out for robins in autumn

Gardeners are being urged to leave one type of food out for robins this autumn and winter in a bid to help these classic British favourites during the cooler autumn weather.

While robins need help all year round because they do not migrate south for winter like other birds, feeding robins is equally important in winter as it is summer, according to garden food experts.

While in the summer you need to avoid fat balls, suet and other high calorie/fat items because they melt in warmer whether, there's no such worry when the temperatures drop. Moreover, birds need more calories heading into winter in order to keep energy reserves up to survive the colder conditions.

Garden experts at Ark Wildlife are urging gardeners to help these classic British birds through the colder months.

It says: "These beautiful birds do not migrate south for the colder months, leaving them at the mercy of the icy British winter - and with safe, warm habitats in increasingly short supply on our shores, it's more important than ever to do what you can to protect robins.

It says: "So how can you look after robins in your garden? Putting up suitable robin nest boxes is a good start, and having plenty of shrubs for them to shelter in makes a big difference too. Thankfully, after the loss of over 100,000 miles of hedgerows between the 1950s and the 1990s, laws are now in place to preserve existing, and create new hedgerows benefitting not only robins but an abundance of other wildlife.

"But feeding robins is also one of the best things you can do - supplementing their diet to add to what they can forage from the ground themselves and ensuring they get the nutrients they need.

"They are omnivores so will eat a wide range of food, giving you plenty of options when it comes to feeding them. Robins can lose up to 10% of their body weight just staying warm on a single winter's night, so making sure its fat reserves are sufficiently topped up really can save a robin's life."

The experts urge gardeners to leave out suet pellets, fat balls, fruits and berries in winter. You should also leave mealworms and calcium worms.

It adds: "Heading toward winter, robins tend to eat as many insects - especially beetles and earthworms - as they can, in order to store up nutrients for the cold weather. Once the soil becomes more solid, earthworms stay underground and most insects are in hibernation. There are many ways you can help them to supplement this diet."