Robins do not eat seed that I know of. They are insect eaters especially earthworms. Some will eat raisins and other fruits and/or peanut butter suet. Some do not. The robins where I live have ate it and have tried to steal the mealworms I put out for the bluebirds.

I think robins are "friendly" for a bird. The male is darker in colors than the female. They very aggressively defend their territory durning nesting season. The male chases males and the female will chase females out of their territory. In the fall they travel together in large flocks during migration.

Renee
Rural SW Indiana

Renee, The friendliest thing you can do is to put out the sprinkler and bring the worms up to the surface, the Robins love to hop around in it and like the easy pickins too. You could feed them meal worms but expect to go through $$$$$$ I go through 15 to 20 THOUSAND worms in a nesting season for my cavity nesting birds, Robbins could go through that many in a week!

I have tons of Robins in the garden, including 3 new ones which just fledged today.

When I sit down to work a section of bed, a couple of the adult Robins will come and stand about 10 feet from me, waiting for me to toss them worms. I throw them about halfway between us, and they scurry over for them, and then dash back to the 10 foot distance.

When I talk to them, or whistle, they cock their heads like curious puppies. They're great garden companions, and they love shopping for worms in my woodchip paths.

I did the sprinkler thing last summer. It was blistering hot and not a bird showed any interest in it. I have bird baths instead.

I cannot afford to feed mealworms to Robins. Talk about being eating out of house and home. lol My dh thinks I'm nuts feeding the BBs as it is.

Renee

Well that explains it!! My yard is in full shade, and I need a play area, so it is almost all cypress mulch on dirt. So that's why I have so many robins! Now, they do come when I am watering! But, to give them water, do I need to put it on the ground? I have water in a birdbath, but they won't use it. But they drink out of the top of my neighbor's nasty Jeep cover!? Maybe I should place the water saucer on the ground where they are??

Robins will use a birdbath. Sometimes with Cedar Waxwings for company.
{{!gwi}}

Miss Huff....the Robins are very much "water birds",at least around these parts. Wet earth (either from rain or watering the lawn) is very beneficial in that it brings earthworms to the surface and earthworms are a mainstay of the Robins diet. They also use mud to construct their nests so they need a "mud puddle" to help with nest construction. We had a pair of Robins that were in a "nesting" frame of mind and we hadn't had any significant rainfall so we wet a large area at the foot of our drive way (its pretty muddy there) and they used it to build their nest. Robins keep our birdbaths quite busy here all the time (they are great bathers....they take lots) so don't give up on your birdbath....they will use it.....just give it some more time. (We do have one female Robin here that likes peanut butter suet....and they will eat apples slices, too.)

~Kathy~

Perfect picture! Thanks!

I think, everyone, my problem is the size of my birdbath! I already had a post that had a sundial on it. I removed the dial, and put a ceramic, glazed pot's bottom on top. My daughter fills it with water every day and put a few rocks in it for the dragonflies.

However, it's only about 12" in diameter, and probably is not very steady. So I'm guessing I need a bigger, real birdbath!??

I was trying to save money, but it might be a good investment.

Hi I feed the birds and have a Robin come to my garden for the winter I've been putting Meal Worms out, Sunflower Harts and Raisins The robin loves them I came across this post as I was browsing the net to see if Robin's would feed from a feeder as this morning I watched the Robin fly to the feeder and quickly grab some food and fly away. I think he can see the meal worms inside it.

I had started to put some meal worms in the feeder with sunflower harts and raisins as all the other big birds and starlings were taking them as soon as I'd put it out and the little birds didn't get a look in. So for the first time today I saw the robin attempt the feeder must be cos he can see the worms in there.

We have several Robins who indeed eat seed. They feed from the ground and our feeders that have high quality sunflower seed. It is the end of June and four sets of hardworking parents have brought their babies (3) and older fledglings (4) to our garden. The little ones stay all day. Parents are still eating seeds (!) -- Our garden here in Oregon is beautiful this year. We have numerous birds from dawn to dusk. "Our" Robins are favorites, with intense color variations and very robust.

i pick 4 to 6 buckets of apples every fall to use during the winter. store them in a cool dark pump house and by late march or april they are starting to get soft or mealy
and the ones left i start putting out in the yard for the birds. the jays and magpies were eating them in no time till a pair of robins showed up during a late snow shower,
they decided the apples were their treat and ate several a day. each day i would go out and whistle and put out some more apples. before i could get back in the house they showed up to eat. Robins leave here in the hot dry summers and head up to the mountains and cooler places but show up again every spring.

Robins will eat food mix from bird feeder as will bluebirds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxj-kwb1CeI&t=69s

Dh gives robins apples, whole apples on a nail on a tree limb.

this is kinda old but...

Just the most fabulous bird video I have ever seen; thank you rheldredge, so great!

More American robin and bluebirds eating chipped sunflower seed ball videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg5nNNKzmAo&t=7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgFIhygfQPk&t=18s

This Robin totally dominates Brown Thrasher over sunflower seed chip ball. He loves his food ball! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA82EtvaWFk&t=8s

I have a Robin coming to my tube feeder (yes, FEEDER) which has a mixed seed with BOSS; and my suet feeder. I can hardly believe it but he/she has come every day for about a month now. First time ever. SE Michigan.

Try laying a little of the suet out on a flat open feeder, and I will bet that you will start seeing birds show up that traditionally never known to eat at feeders. Make a mix of sunflower chips, corn meal and peanut butter, along with enough vegetable shortening to make a ball and you may be pleasantly surprised at all your different visitors.