The American robin is one of the most familiar backyard birds in the U.S.—so familiar, in fact, it’s the official state bird of Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Michigan. With their bright orange bellies and cheerful songs, robins are a welcome sight in any yard. Here’s how to provide a friendly home for them.
Feed Robins the Foods They Love
Robins are insect lovers at heart. In the spring and summer, they’re on the hunt for earthworms, grubs, snails, and insects—especially in the early morning when worms come up to the surface after rain or heavy dew. To attract them, keep your yard natural by avoiding lawn pesticides (which kill off their favorite food).
You can also offer fresh fruit—think apple slices, grapes, or strawberries—hulled sunflower seeds, mealworms, and unsalted peanut hearts (you can buy these or chop up peanuts yourself) on a flat platform feeder. Even better, plant fruiting bushes and trees that produce food through the summer. Good options include raspberry and blackberry bushes, strawberry runners, crabapple trees, and fig trees.
In fall and winter, when bugs are scarce, robins shift to eating fruit and berries. You can help by planting winter-fruiting trees and shrubs like chokecherry, serviceberry, hawthorn, and dogwood.
Add Fresh Water with a Robin-Friendly Birdbath
And don’t forget water! A shallow birdbath can make your yard even more attractive to robins, especially during the warmer months when they need fresh water for drinking and bathing. Robins prefer shallow water they can easily wade into, so keep the depth low and clean the bath regularly to keep the water fresh.
In winter months, add a bubbler and heater to keep your birdbath from freezing.
Create a Yard Robins Want to Call Home
One key to attracting robins is to provide habitat they like. In the fall, don’t rake away all the leaf litter—bugs hide out there for the winter, and robins will happily search through it for a snack. And leave a few wild areas, such as compost piles or wood stacks. These make great hiding places for bugs and offer robins the kind of “forest floor” they love to forage in.
Want them to stick around and maybe even raise a family? Add a simple nest platform to a quiet corner of your yard. A 12-inch square with low sides will do the trick. Place it somewhere sheltered and out of reach of curious pets.
By offering the right food, some fresh water, a safe nesting space, and a yard that mimics nature, you can turn your backyard into a robin’s paradise.
