American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. The similarity between the orange-red coloring of its breast to that of the smaller and unrelated European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) led to its common name.

The American Robin is 10–11 inches long. It weighs about 2.7 oz. It has gray upperparts and head, and orange underparts, usually brighter in the male. It has a small yellow beak and distinctive crescents around the eyes. There are seven sub-species, but only T. m. confinus in the southwest is particularly distinctive, with pale gray-brown underparts.

During the breeding season, the adult males grow distinctive black feathers on their heads; after the breeding season they lose this eye-catching plumage.

Song and calls

The male American Robin, as with many thrushes, has a beautiful, 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. The song varies regionally, and its style varies by time of day. American Robins will often be among the last songbirds singing as the evening sets in.

In addition to its song, the American Robin has a number of calls used for communicating specific information. When a ground predator approaches but does not directly threaten, Robins will make a PEEK!! tut tut tut tut... warning call. When a nest or Robin is being directly threatened, another call is used, which sounds like a horse's whinny. Even during nesting season, when Robins exhibit mostly competitive and territorial behavior, they may still band together to drive away a predator. Robins also make a very high-pitched sound when a hawk or other bird of prey is seen; other robins will repeat the sound, seek cover, and stop moving. During the colder parts of the year, the American Robin gathers in flocks around food sources, and there is yet another call that is heard in such flocks.

Distribution and habitat

This bird breeds throughout Canada and the United States. While Robins occasionally overwinter in the northern part of the United States and southern Canada, most winter in the southern parts of the breeding range and beyond, from the southern U.S.A. to Guatemala. Most depart south by the end of August and begin to return north in February and March. (Exact dates vary with latitude and climate.)

This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. In autumn 2003, migration was displaced eastwards leading to massive movements through the eastern USA. Presumably this is what led to no fewer than three American Robins being found in Great Britain, with two attempting to overwinter in 2003–2004, one eventually being taken by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk.

The American Robin's habitat is all sorts of woodland and more open farmland and urban areas. Food is the typical thrush mixture consisting largely of insects and earthworms. Robins are also fond of some berries, including those of the black cherry tree; they will fly in especially to feed on them during the period when they ripen.

Behavior

Robins are frequently seen running across lawns, picking up earthworms by sight. In fact, the running and stopping behavior is a distinguishing characteristic. When stopping, they are actually looking for prey, not listening.

Reproduction

As with many migratory birds, the males return to the summer breeding grounds before the females and compete with each other for nesting sites. The females then select mates based on the males' songs, plumage, and territory quality. The females build the nest and lay two to four light blue eggs in the grass-lined cup. The female incubates the eggs for 11-14 days until hatching. The eyes of the pink featherless nestlings are closed for the first five days. Both parents feed the nestlings a diet of earthworms, insects and berries. The young develop rapidly in the nest for 15–16 days to fledging. Two broods in a season are common.

The adult male and female both are active in protecting and feeding the fledged chicks until they learn to forage on their own. The adult Robins give alarm calls and dive-bomb predators, including domestic cats, that come near the young birds. The fledglings are able to fly short distances after leaving the nest. The wings of juvenile birds develop rapidly and it only takes a couple of weeks for them to become proficient at flying. The cryptic young birds perch in bushes or trees for protection from predators. Bird banders have found that only 25% of young robins survive the first year.

Bald Eagles can weigh up to 14 pounds and attain a height of 3 to 3 1/2 feet. They have a huge wing span of 6–8 feet. Typically, the female of the species is larger that the male and bald eagles living in the north are believed to be larger than ones in the south. They can live up to 30 years in the wild and even longer in captivity.