Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Familiar American Robin

By: Tom Berg

Most people in the United States are very familiar with the American robin. This bird can be found from coast to coast and in every state in the contiguous USA, and they breed as far north as Alaska and some of the extreme northern fringes of Canada. They remain year-round in most states, although most people don’t see many of them during the winter.

The American robin is fairly large as songbirds go; it has a wingspan of approximately 15 inches and has a length of up to 11 inches. Robins have dark gray wings, back and head, and their breast and belly is a cheerful orange color. Male robins have a white eye-ring, and their gray plumage is darker than the female’s. Males have a brighter orange breast, too.

American robins are often seen hunting worms and insects in residential yards once the warmer weather of spring arrives, and many people say they are a sure sign of spring. But as stated above, most robins do not migrate south for the winter, and if they do migrate at all it is not very far. They simply vacate the green lawns when cold weather hits and start foraging for fruits and berries in trees instead. After all, worms and insects disappear during the winter in northern climates.

Robins will nest almost anywhere, but the lower branches of deciduous trees are prime nesting spots. They have also been known to build nests in roof eaves, on top of light poles, in barns, and even inside house gutters. The nests are usually made of small twigs, thin branches, dried grasses and bits of paper. Mud is used the cement everything together. Feathers and more dried grass lines the inside of the nest.

Female robins typically lay 3-5 small blue eggs in the nest, and she will incubate them for up to two weeks until the chicks hatch. Baby robins usually stay in the nest for 10-15 days, growing rapidly every day. They leave the nest (fall out or jump out) before they are able to fly very well, and their parents continue to feed them and look after them for the next couple of weeks until they become independent.

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