CHIRP, CHIRP! We've got ROBIN FACTS for you!
Nice to meet you, Robin!
Robins are very popular birds both here in North America, as well as in Europe. In fact, it is the national bird of Great Britain! The male American Robin sings the most beautiful tune… he is often the last bird heard as the sun sets. The American Robin is the state bird for Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
We are bird family!
There are dozens of different bird species across the globe—chats, flycatchers, thrushes—that include the word “robin” in their common name. The American Robin belongs to the thrush family, which also includes bluebirds and solitaires.
Wearing their colors proudly!
Early colonial settlers named the American Robin for its resemblance to the familiar but unrelated European Robin, which is smaller but also sports an orange breast and upright posture. Today, the American Robin exists in the form of seven subspecies, subtly differentiated by their body size and plumage, with the exception of one subspecies in southern Baja California, which sports pale gray-brown underparts in lieu of rusty tones.
Yum!
Though known for being worm eaters, robins have varied diets. Research shows that American Robins mostly eat fruits in the fall and winter, and include more insects and worms in their spring and summer diets.
Tipsy robin!
Birders can occasionally spot tipsy robins in the late winter and early spring, thanks to fermented berries they have devoured.
Lets just stay home!
Often considered harbingers of spring, not all American Robins are migratory. While many northern robin populations migrate south during the winter in search of food, others remain somewhat local, forming groups that roam the countryside in search of the berries they prefer during the cold winter months. At night, these large and noisy flocks will roost in trees together.
A long way!
Robins that do migrate can cover a lot of ground: Records show that some birds have traveled up to 3,000 miles, from Iowa to Alaska, during their spring migration.
strut your stuff
Like most other migratory birds, robins don’t maintain pair bonds and often take on new mates each spring. At the breeding grounds, male robins put on strutting courtship displays for females. At dawn, they belt their melodious tunes, shake their wings, fluff their tail feathers, and puff their white-striped throats to entice lady robins.
What a brood!
Robins can raise up to three broods in one breeding season, each time laying 3-5 sky-blue eggs that take roughly 14 days to hatch.
Nice nest
Female robins pick nesting sites tucked away in thickets or unexposed tree branches, but sometimes they nest on the ground or atop outdoor light fixtures, too. The birds use pieces of straw, twigs, and dry leaves to build cup-shaped nests, and add moss, mud, and sometimes feathers to mend and line the interiors.
Smart bird
Robin nests are often a target of parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds, who lay their speckled eggs among the robin's eggs. But a study found that robins are extremely efficient at recognizing and removing these unwanted eggs from their nests before they hatch and become competition for robin chicks.
Woah! That's an old bird!
On average, American Robins live for two years in the wild. Ornithologist May Thatcher Cooke maintained detailed records of banded robins in the early 1900s and noted that some individuals live as long as 6-9 years, with one wild robin living almost 14 years.
That is a LOT of birds!
According to some recent estimates, the American Robin population stands at 310 million.
Resilient birds!
these ubiquitous songbirds went through a rough patch when DDT use was rampant in the mid-1900s. Robins were among the first avian species found to be affected by the use of this pesticide, and scientists recorded mass mortality events as a result. After the 1972 ban on DDT, their populations quickly recovered.
Tweet Tweet
Bright lights are making city robins sing their morning songs much before the crack of dawn, and their songs are becoming more high-pitched to overcome the din of traffic.
Predators
The adult robin's main predators are hawks, domestic cats, and snakes. When feeding in flocks, it can be vigilant, watching other birds for reactions to predators.
That's one EARLY bird!
It is one of the earliest bird species to lay its eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning to its summer range from its winter range.
Let's get some STATS!
The eastern subspecies of the American robin (T. m. migratorius) is 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in) long with a wingspan ranging from 31 to 41 cm (12 to 16 in), with similar size ranges across all subspecies. The species averages about 77 g (2.7 oz) in weight, with males ranging from 72 to 94 g (2.5 to 3.3 oz) and females ranging from 59 to 91 g (2.1 to 3.2 oz).
Robin eyes!
The American robin uses auditory, visual, olfactory and possibly vibrotactile cues to find prey, but vision is the predominant mode of prey detection.[25] It is frequently seen running across lawns picking up earthworms, and its running and stopping behavior is a distinguishing characteristic. In addition to hunting visually, it also has the ability to hunt by hearing. Experiments have discovered that it can find earthworms underground by simply using its listening skills.[25]:149 It typically will take several short hops and then cock its head left, right or forward to detect movement of its prey.
Let's get flyin'!
Juveniles become capable of sustained flight two weeks after fledging!
Rockin' Robin!
The male American robin, as with many thrushes, has a complex and almost continuous song. Its song is commonly described as a cheerily carol, made up of discrete units, often repeated, and spliced together into a string with brief pauses in between.[22] The song varies regionally, and its style varies by the time of day. The song period is from late February or early March to late July or early August; some birds, particularly in the east, sing occasionally into September or later. The American robin is often among the first songbirds singing as dawn rises or hours before, and last as evening sets in. It usually sings from a high perch in a tree.[12] The song of the San Lucas subspecies (T. m. confinis) is weaker than that of the eastern subspecies (T. m. migratorius), and lacks any clear notes.[7]
The American robin also sings when storms approach and again when storms have passed.[45] In addition to its song, the American robin has a number of calls used for communicating specific information, such as when a ground predator approaches and when a nest or another American robin is being directly threatened. Even during nesting season, when American robins exhibit mostly competitive and territorial behavior, they may still band together to drive away a predator.[7]
The prettiest eggs of all!
Robin egg blue is a color named after the bird's eggs!
Gender reveal!
The American robin is considered a symbol of spring.[51] A well-known example is a poem by Emily Dickinson titled "I Dreaded That First Robin So". Among other 19th-century poems about the first robin of spring is "The First Robin" by Dr. William H. Drummond, which according to the author's wife is based on a Quebec superstition that whoever sees the first robin of spring will have good luck.[52]
Birdsong
American popular songs featuring this bird include "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)", written by Harry M. Woods[55] and a hit for Al Jolson and others, and "Rockin' Robin", written by Roger Thomas and a hit for Bobby Day and others. "Fly, Robin, Fly" by the German disco group Silver Convention was a popular hit in the 1970s.
Super birds!
Although the comic book superhero Robin was inspired by an N. C. Wyeth illustration of Robin Hood,[56][57] a later version had his mother nicknaming him Robin because he was born on the first day of spring.[58] His red shirt suggests the bird's red breast.
The better to see you with!
American robins have exceptionally keen eyesight that allows them to see the tiny disturbances in the soil that indicate where worms are moving.
Peace, robin!
American robins are part of Indigenous folklore for several tribes. While legends vary, many tribes consider the American robin a symbol of peace, safety, and nurturing.
Big bird!
As far as songbirds go, American Robins are pretty big — they’re the largest thrush found in North America. They have large, round bodies with long tails and lanky legs. The other thrushes native to North America include Bluebirds, Wood Thrushes, Hermit Thrushes, Olive-backed Thrushes, and Gray-cheeked Thrushes.
Strong women
Though males may provide some help when it comes to nest building, females are the primary builders. They use twigs, roots, grass, and paper to form most of the cup-shaped nest, with a firm inner layer of mud for durability. The inside is then lined with fine grasses and plant fibers.
AMERICAN ROBINS ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON BIRDS
American Robins are widespread and common. It’s estimated that there are over 300 million American Robins in the world and they are one of the most numerous types of backyard birds in North America. Their numbers are so abundant, that they often serve as environmental markers for determining the health of the local ecosystem.
OK, that's all for today! Come back tomorrow for more birdy fun!
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