Fascinating Facts About One of America’s Favorite Birds

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is one of the most familiar birds in North America. Its reddish-orange breast makes it particularly easy to identify, even for people who are new to birdwatching. These birds are generally comfortable around people and are frequently found building nests and searching for food in urban and suburban areas.

Habitat

American Robins originally bred primarily in woodland environments, but they have adapted extremely well to human-altered landscapes. Today, they can be found in residential neighborhoods, gardens, open forests and farmland. Their preferred habitat provides both open areas where they can search for food and trees or shrubs that offer suitable locations for nesting and resting.

Dense evergreen trees are often preferred for nesting, although robins are highly adaptable and will make use of whatever vegetation is available. Once deciduous trees develop their leaves, these trees may also become suitable nesting locations.

As the breeding season progresses, robins may become even less selective about where they build their nests. Fences, window ledges and even sites directly on the ground can occasionally be used.

A typical robin nest consists of mud and small twigs, with the inside lined with soft, fine grasses. During winter, robins may gather in cedar swamps and boggy habitats in regions where they remain, although their presence can be difficult to notice.

American Robins are migratory birds and generally move south when winter arrives. During migration, they can gather in large numbers at communal nighttime roosts. Once they return to their breeding areas, males establish territories and compete for mates through a variety of songs and vocal displays.

Reproduction

Most male robins return to Vermont during March, usually arriving several days before the females. After a female arrives, she may begin constructing a nest approximately two weeks before she lays her eggs. The same nest may sometimes be used again for later broods.

A typical clutch contains three or four distinctive pale-blue eggs. The female incubates the eggs for approximately 11 to 14 days before they hatch.

After hatching, the young are fed with assistance from the male. The chicks generally leave the nest and begin learning to fly around nine to 16 days after emerging from their eggs.

Female robins can produce several broods during a single breeding season. In Vermont, breeding activity may continue from approximately May through September.

Diet

The American Robin has an omnivorous diet and consumes both plant-based and animal foods. Its animal prey includes various invertebrates, particularly earthworms, caterpillars and beetles.

However, fruits and berries make up a substantial portion of its overall diet. Robins commonly search for food while walking or running across the ground, but they also feed from trees and shrubs. They are even capable of catching insects while those insects are flying through the air.

Management

There are several simple ways to make a yard more attractive to American Robins. Since fruits and berries account for roughly 60% of their diet, planting berry-producing shrubs can create a useful natural food source.

Robins also readily consume foods such as raisins, grapes and suet. These can be provided on a platform-style feeder where the birds can easily access them.

Invertebrates, including earthworms, are another important part of the robin's diet. Homeowners can encourage these organisms by maintaining a damp section of the yard or leaving a small pile of brush that provides suitable habitat.

Status

The American Robin is widespread and familiar throughout much of the United States. In Vermont, it is primarily a summer resident and is especially common between April and October.

In certain areas, including the Champlain Valley, some robins may remain through the winter. The number that stays depends largely on whether sufficient food is available.

Robin populations generally become less abundant as elevation increases, so they are more commonly encountered at lower elevations than in higher mountain areas.