Robins will thrive in gardens this autumn if two types of food are left out for them.
The tiny red-breasted birds are active in the UK all year round but will often be spotted in the colder months gathering materials to build nests and searching for food. Robins don't migrate from the UK in the winter so gardeners are urged to leave food and water out for them on a regular basis as their usual sources of food can be harder to come by. The birds typically feed on a diet of live insects, worms and fruit, but when the weather turns colder in autumn and winter this supply of food can dry up a bit, with fruit trees becoming bare and the ground becoming hard or even frozen.
To help the small birds out, wildlife experts recommend leaving extra food out for them in gardens as this will help them to build up their fat stores for both energy and warmth. Robins need high energy foods to help them thrive at this time of the year so experts advise offering a combination of sunflower seeds and mealworms.