There are so many robins around at the moment, gracing our gardens, parks and woodlands with their songs and territorial squabbles and bright bursts of cheery redness, that I couldn’t help but wonder what collective noun is used for the robin. So, I googled, and found two different lists, though both had many of the same words. The British Bird Lovers website says their list was chosen by members of their Facebook page, though I’m not sure when that occurred, and the Bird Guides website reports on a poll conducted by BTO and the Sunday Express in 2011, where members of the public gave their suggestions.
This is the combined list, accompanied, of course, by lots of photos of cute robins because you can never have too many robins! Which name is your favourite?
a round of robins a breast of robins a blush of robins
a bobbin of robins a carol of robins a gift of robins
a reliant of robins a riot of robins a rouge of robins
a ruby of robins a rabble of robins a red of robbins
a squabble of robins a rash of robins a hood of robins
Olly said:
I asked this question as part of our Christmas quiz (“what should the collective name for robins be?”) and my grandmother absolutely smashed it with:
‘A Batman of Robins’
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sconzani said:
Fantastic! Go Grandma! 🙂
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Paul Seligman said:
A reliant of robins is by far the funniest – if you are old enough to get it. And maybe they didn’t reach New Zealand, Annie.
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sconzani said:
I don’t think the reliant did make it to NZ, Paul, but I know it as Mr Bean’s car. 😉
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Beautywhizz said:
Must be a bobbin of robins! Love the photos.
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sconzani said:
Sounds like a line from a song – ‘the robins go bob-bob-bobbing along’. Thanks!
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Beautywhizz said:
😊
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Ali said:
So many witty ones – especially a round of robins or hood of robins! I think a breast of robins is my favourite though 🙂 Lovely pics as ever.
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sconzani said:
Thanks, Ali. I wonder if it should be a red-breast of robins. 😉
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Jackie Edwards said:
Love Robins, all the nouns are good, but personally I prefer ‘a Carol of Robins’ because of the link with christmas.
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sconzani said:
Oh, yes, that suits them perfectly. Robins and snow make the quintessential Christmas!
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Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog said:
Beautiful! 🙂
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sconzani said:
Thanks so much, Tom. 🙂
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