ISSN: 2639-216X
Authors: Fahim Sawan M*
European Robin Erithacus rubecula has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The population trend appears to be increasing and the size is extremely large. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 58,700,000-90,500,000 pairs, which equates to 117,000,000-181,000,000 mature individuals. This species is found in forest undergrowth and edge, preferring conifer tracts in some parts of its range and deciduous woodland in others. It uses copses and adjacent open land, farmland woodlots, thickets along watercourses, hedgerows with some tall trees, orchards, gardens and parks and is also found in urban areas in parts of Europe. It requires cool shade, medium-height cover with perches, and patches of bare ground. Breeding occurs from early April to mid-June in the U.K., from the end of April to late July in central Europe and from mid-May in northern Russia and mid-April in southern Russia. On the 28th of April 2020, I was birdwatching in Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve Zgharta-Ehden District, north Lebanon when I encountered a couple of European Robins carrying insects to a nest in a hole in a big rock near the river. Following the birds, they entered the whole and went outside immediately watching me cautiously. I went to see what’s inside that rock and I saw the nest of the European Robin with 3 nestling inside of it. Later after 3 weeks I went again to see the nest I found the juveniles wandering around it. Reporting it to Dr Ghassan Ramadan Jaradi, it was accepted as a first breeding record of this species to Lebanon. Later on, I was able to identify many juvenile individuals near the same location.
Keywords: European Robin; Erithacus rubecula; First Breeding Record in Lebanon 2020
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