It is a little ball of feathers no more than 15 centimetres tall, with eyes like black pearls and a magnificent red breast that stands out against its brown plumage and pale belly. Difficult to spot in summer, when it lives in woodland, the robin moves closer to gardens and houses at the first autumn chill in search of food. It is therefore not hard to attract one to your own garden: by making its favourite food available at regular times, you can receive its visit up to three times a day — early in the morning, at midday and before sunset.

What the robin eats in the wild

In the wild, the robin — an insectivore — feeds mainly on insects and their larvae, earthworms, seeds and small molluscs, but supplements this diet with large quantities of fruit and berries: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and currants. For its winter menu we can offer it small amounts of fat, millet and oat seeds, as well as sweet crumbs from cakes, panettone and biscuits.

Food should be placed on the ground, on the balcony or on a windowsill, in a spot that cats cannot easily reach, and should be offered from autumn through to late spring. After that, this artificial feeding must be stopped, as it could harm nestlings. The robin will thus be prompted to return to the woodland, where it will resume foraging for food naturally, before reappearing at the first cold snap to check whether you are willing to look after it for another winter. Rest assured, though — giving a little extra food for a few weeks will not alter its instincts.

The most suitable menu for the robin

Moderate supplementary feeding allows wild birds to enjoy a varied and healthy habitat. Bird houses and food trays are also a wonderful opportunity to observe birds up close and to enjoy pleasant and exciting experiences.

In winter, supplementary feeding is a valuable aid, especially in the event of snow or freezing rain, when the ground is covered in snow or ice. The time when food should be most plentiful is the morning, as birds are very hungry after a long night. Food is also greatly appreciated in the evening, when birds stock up on energy ahead of the night ahead.

Only a few insectivore species — including, besides robins, blackbirds and starlings — are regular visitors to the feeding stations we set up in gardens or on balconies. These birds favour:

• seeds and small seeds, those found in bird food sold at supermarkets are ideal
• oat flakes
• raisins and candied fruit
• fruit (even partially overripe)
• shelled walnuts and hazelnuts
• crumbs from cakes and panettone
• fat

Yes, as Lipu confirms, it is also possible to add leftover cake crumbs and panettone to the menu.

On the other hand, kitchen scraps such as cheese rinds, cured meats and anything salted, spiced or seasoned are absolutely forbidden and harmful to wild birds.

A brief note on bread, too, which is not particularly suitable as it creates a feeling of fullness without providing sufficient calories, meaning that regular visitors to feeders risk not having enough energy to maintain the right body temperature during the coldest hours. In winter, birds can in fact lose as much as 10% of their body weight in a single night.

Read also: This is how we can turn gardens and terraces into havens for birds. The recipe for fat balls and other treats

How to attract the robin

To attract one to your garden or balcony, you can also plant spindle trees (Euonymus europaeus), also known as "priest's cap", a small shrub that in autumn produces fleshy capsules which, when ripe, open to reveal bright orange seeds that our little friend is literally mad about.