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Sexing Robins (1 Viewer)

Sandra (Taylor)

Well-known member
Is there any way of telling a female robin from a male? My friend seems to think it's something to do with the amount of red on the breast and how far it spreads onto the face/beak area. He was in the company of some ringers and mentioned this - they didn't think there was any way to tell them apart but yet my friend can't have dreamt it - he says!

Sandra
:h?:
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
Is there any way of telling a female robin from a male? My friend seems to think it's something to do with the amount of red on the breast and how far it spreads onto the face/beak area. He was in the company of some ringers and mentioned this - they didn't think there was any way to tell them apart but yet my friend can't have dreamt it - he says!

Sandra
:h?:

You can't sex them (unless you see which one is on top!)
 
According to Svensson male and female are alike in plumage. Perhaps wing lenght would be of help, but could differ depending on origin of population. According to birds measured in Sweden (Ottenby), about 60% could be sexed according to wing lenght, males on average longer winged.

JanJ
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
Is there any way of telling a female robin from a male? My friend seems to think it's something to do with the amount of red on the breast and how far it spreads onto the face/beak area. He was in the company of some ringers and mentioned this - they didn't think there was any way to tell them apart but yet my friend can't have dreamt it - he says!

Sandra
:h?:
I have a vague recollection that it may have something to do the the shape of the brown meeting the red on the forehead - It is 'U' shaped in one sex and 'V' shaped in the other sex (cannot remember which shape refers to what sex though!)!

Of course I do not know if this has any basis in Science!

Regards
Tristan
 
I was on a guided birding walk around Holy Island two Saturday's ago with a local bird expert and he just happened to mention one of the possible ways to sex Robins - I'm sure it WAS the way Tristan has said. :t:

I'll double check next time I see him.
 
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