Updated Nov 3, 2022
Updated Nov 3, 2022
Robins are beautiful migratory birds. However, they can quickly damage your home and garden, especially when migrating in large flocks during the spring. Robins can damage your garden by tearing up the grass, scattering mulch while looking for food, and eating fruit or crops. On top of this, robins can carry and attract parasites and insects with their nests, putting your family, pets, and home at risk. Robin poop can also be a health risk and create a foul stench, especially if robins get inside your walls. However, you can not legally kill robins in the United States, and in many areas, their nests are protected and should not be destroyed unless the robin has moved on. So, what can you do to get rid of robins and rid your home of these nuisance birds?
In this guide, we’ll cover the following:
As a homeowner, it’s understandable that you’d want to get rid of robins to protect your family’s health and your home and garden from damage. However, it’s crucial that you check with your local laws and regulations first to see what protections may be in place for robins in your area.
Robins are a protected species, and their nesting sites are also usually protected, meaning that the nests can’t be moved or destroyed unless abandoned. So, before you take any of the following steps, please check your local laws to make sure you are compliant.
Here are our top recommendations for getting rid of robins humanely:
Once you’ve gotten rid of robins on your property, you’ll want to take precautions to keep robins from returning to your home and garden.
Here are some of our top tips for keeping your home robin-free:
Robins are adaptable birds found in many parts of North America. They thrive in parks, forests, woodlands, yards, pastures, and even the tundra. Typically, robins are between 8 and 11 inches long.
American robins are beautiful birds with gray-brown feathers and orange underparts. Female robins are typically paler, while males have deeper, richer colors that contrast with their gray backs. Both male and female robins have white patches on their lower belly and underneath their tail, which you may spot while they are in flight. Please note that robins found in the Western United States are usually paler in color than their richly colored Eastern and Canadian counterparts.
These industrious birds are known to bound across lawns. Typically, they stand tall with their beak tilted upwards to help them spot predators, like owls and hawks. A common robin behavior to watch for is constant tail flicking. Many robins will flick their tail downward multiple times in a row out of habit.
Robins typically live close to humans and are among the first songbirds to create nests in the spring. If you suspect you have robins nesting near your home, start by looking for some of the most common signs, such as:
So, why are robins nesting near my home? There are a few primary reasons why a robin may select your home for its nest:
Robins are beautiful birds, but you should not underestimate the damage they can cause to your home and garden. If you spot robins near your home, act immediately before they begin creating nests on your property because robins are a protected species that cannot be harmed or removed when they are nesting. After robins have migrated away from your home, take immediate steps to keep robins away in the future. Habitat modification steps, such as reducing available food and water sources and removing nesting materials, like excess grass or trash, can decrease your risk of having robin problems in the future.
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