A visit from a robin is a rare, yet welcome sight for many gardeners.
And for some people who have lost a loved one, robins are viewed as symbols of visits from the dead.
Now, scientists from the University of Rhode Island have revealed an easy way to get robins to visit your garden this winter.
According to the team, robins enjoy getting drunk on fermented winter berries.
The birds usually munch on insects and worms, but these are sparse over the cold, winter months.
Instead, they must fill themselves up on winter berries, like those from holly trees.
Thankfully, getting drunk isn’t bad for the birds, and some may even enjoy it.
Professor Scott McWilliams, a professor of wildlife ecology and physiology, told ecoRI News: ‘They’re kinda like us in that they can be made drowsy and drunk by alcohol.’
Scientists from the University of Rhode Island have revealed an easy way to get robins to visit your garden this winter. According to the team, robins enjoy getting drunk on fermented winter berries
Robins primarily feed on insects (especially beetles) and worms.
‘You might notice one following you about as your dig up your garden hoping to nab a few worms as you unearth them,’ the Woodland Trust explains on its website.
‘Robins can also eat fruit, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts and raisins.’
Over the winter months, the birds rely on winter berries, including those on holly, hawthorn, and rowan trees.
But the combination of freezing and warming that happens around this time of year causes sugars to build up and then ferment in the fruit still on the trees.
And this fermented fruit can make the birds a ‘little tipsy’.
Thankfully, this drunkenness is mostly harmless and doesn’t last for long.
‘They are flying under the influence!’ Professor McWilliams joked.
The birds usually munch on insects and worms, but these are sparse over the cold, winter months. Instead, they must fill themselves up on winter berries, like those from holly trees
For many people who have lost a loved one, an unexpected appearance from a robin can indicate that their relatives, friends or spouses are near.
Countless stories have been shared by individuals affected by grief and loss, who have experienced a moment of comfort when a robin has visited during a particularly dark time.
The idea that robins are reincarnated love ones dates back to ancient British folklore.
In Celtic mythology, the robin was a symbol of passion as well as new beginnings and were believed to bring messages of hope and rebirth.
Robins are often linked to Christmas and the story of Christ in Christian symbolism.
Some Christians believe a robin was by Jesus’s side at the crucifixion, and its red breast is said to have come from a drop of his blood.
Other legends say a small brown bird fanned the flames of a fire to keep the baby Jesus warm – with its chest burning and turning red.
