What does a European robin sound like?
The European robin sings a thin, clear, wistful warble of high notes that rise and fall, and it sings almost all year round, including in autumn and winter.
Bird Sounds for Relaxing and Focus | Remote Summer Garden
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is not the same bird as the American robin, which is a thrush with a very different song. The European robin's song is quieter and higher, made of short, varied phrases with a slightly melancholy tone, especially in autumn.
Robins are among the first birds of the dawn chorus and among the last at dusk. Near street lights they sometimes sing at night, which leads people to mistake them for nightingales. The alarm call is a sharp, repeated 'tic'.
Our remote summer garden recording has the robin marked in its chapters. The timestamp below jumps straight to it.
Where to hear it in our recordings
- 48:37 — European robin, remote summer garden
Quick questions
Do robins sing in winter?
Yes. Both males and females hold winter territories and sing to defend them.
Is a robin singing at night a nightingale?
Often it is a robin near artificial light. Nightingales sing from late April to June only.