There’s no bigger sign of spring than spotting your first American Robin bobbing along your lawn. These cheerful birds spend the spring and summer months in Canada to breed and gobble up as many worms as they can manage. If you’d like to see more of these songbirds in your backyard, we’ve got six tips to attract them to your garden.

Give Robins a Place to Raise Their Young

Is there anything cuter than a baby robin calling out to its mama for food? You might be lucky enough to glimpse these birds in your garden if you give them plenty of cozy spots to raise their young. American Robins are resourceful nest builders, crafting snug little nests that look a lot like cups with bits of twigs, grasses and other plant material, all secured together with a foundation of mud. Inside, they line their nests with fine grasses, creating a safe haven for eggs and hatchlings.

Got trees or shrubs in your yard? Lucky you! These are some of American Robins favourite places to nest. They usually build their nests in the lower half of a tree. But they’re also happy to nest in nesting platforms. So if you’re feeling hospitable, consider purchasing one of these or you might want to build one of your own!

Once in a while, a robin might decide to nest in a spot you frequent, like your front door or porch. If you find American Robins moving in to these areas, remember to respect their privacy. Try not to use these areas as much as possible – it shouldn’t be too hard considering the nesting process only lasts about four weeks. Above all, don’t move the nest. It’s a big no-no considering the parents will likely abandon the nest entirely if you move it.

Give Robins a Place to Wash Up

American Robins will thank you for giving them a spot to sip and bathe regularly. Consider adding a birdbath with misters and drippers to your garden repertoire. Or you could offer them a standard shallow pond with a muddy area nearby – after all, they use mud to build their nests!

Give Robins a Place to Stay Sheltered

The weather outside can be awfully frightful in Canada and when a storm whips up, American Robins need somewhere to shelter. By planting evergreen shrubs and trees in your backyard, you’ll give them protection – not only from unruly weather but predators too. And there are plenty of predators that would be happy to make a feast of a robin, like jays, owls, crows, hawks and domestic cats.

Keep Your Kitty Indoors

Your beloved feline friend might be sweet and cuddly, but let’s face it, he’s got a bit of a wild side too. Cats might seem harmless, but they can pose a serious threat to birds, including the American Robin. Cats have been known to snatch up many robins every year. The young ones, still learning to fly are particularly helpless targets. So make sure to keep your cat indoors, for the love of the feathered friends in our yards.

Give Robins Something to Eat

You’ll attract plenty of birds with a bird feeder, but not American Robins. They’re not big fans of seeds. Luckily there are other ways to encourage them feast in your garden. If you’ve got a lawn, you’ll probably see plenty of robins hopping along, scouring the ground for any movement from their favourite snacks – earthworms.
You can also entice them to dine in your garden by planting their favourite food sources like chokecherries, hawthorn, dogwood, sumac and juniper berries. These trees bear fruit in the colder months and are sure to be real robin magnets.

Ditch Pesticides

Pesticides can wreak absolute havoc on our feathered friends and our gardens. Not only can pesticides directly harm robins, they can also mess with food sources. If an American Robin chomps down on a plump worm only to find it riddled with pesticides, it’ll probably pay the price. Let’s make a pact to keep our gardens pesticide-free zones. American Robins will thank you, and so will the vibrant biodiversity you can find in your own backyard.