COTTAAR F (2011) Berries of Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides help European Robins Erithacus rubecula survive a cold winter. LIMOSA 84 (1): 12-14.

This note reports on body masses of nine European Robins captured multiple times at a ringing station in coastal dunes near Bloemendaal, Noord-Holland, in October 2009-February 2010. This winter was noteworthy because of several cold periods with prolonged snow cover, and an nusually high availability of Sea Buckthorn berries. Robins were more numerous than usual in the dune scrub in December-January, and the recaptured individuals showed a mass increase of 8-34% between first capture in autumn probably shortly after arrival and mid-winter. The mass increase continued, and even seemed to accelerate, during cold periods with snow cover (Fig. 1). When handled, several birds shed orange-coloured faeces indicative of a diet of Sea Buckthorn berries. When the berries had been depleted and snow cover disappeared in early February, most Robins disappeared from the trapping area, and those still recaptured had lower mass. Apparently, berries of Sea Buckthorn provide a sufficient food base to enable Robins to survive cold winter spells in good condition. #### European Robin Erithacus rubecula

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