Spotted Forktail vs European Robin

Enicurus maculatus compared with Erithacus rubecula

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Spotted Forktail European Robin
Scientific Name Enicurus maculatus Erithacus rubecula
Order Passeriformes Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae Muscicapidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length 14.0 cm (5.5 in)
Wingspan 20.5 cm (8.1 in) 21.0 cm (8.3 in)
Weight 41.0 g (1.45 oz) 18.0 g (0.63 oz)
Diet -- Insects, worms, and berries. Often follows gardeners and large animals to catch invertebrates disturbed from …
Clutch Size 3-4 4-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Spotted Forktail
European Robin 14.0 cm
Wingspan
Spotted Forktail 20.5 cm
European Robin 21.0 cm
Weight
Spotted Forktail 41.0 g
European Robin 18.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Spotted Forktail only

None

European Robin only

None

European Robin

Woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and gardens across Europe. Remarkably tame around humans, especially in Britain.

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Song & Call Comparison

Spotted Forktail

European Robin

Song

Exquisite, melancholic melody of thin whistled phrases, rising and falling softly. Rich, warbling song year-round; both sexes sing. Alarm call is a sharp 'tic-tic-tic'.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Spotted Forktail

European Robin

Europe, western Asia, and parts of North Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter; western European populations are largely resident.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Spotted Forktail

Least Concern

European Robin

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How to Tell Them Apart

Spotted Forktail

European Robin

Plumage

Olive-brown upperparts with a warm orange-red breast and face bordered by grey. White belly and undertail coverts.

Bill

Thin, pointed dark brown bill

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About These Birds

European Robin

The European robin is one of the most beloved birds in Britain, where it is the unofficial national bird. Despite its friendly demeanor toward humans, robins are fiercely territorial against their own kind, singing year-round to defend territory. Their distinctive song is one of the first to be heard at dawn.

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Related Comparisons

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