American Robin

American Robin

Today my choice of bird may surprise you because most everyone is already familiar with it. You don’t have to be a bird enthusiast to identify the American Robin. The robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin. Robins are usually the first bird to wake up and sing to us in the morning as well as the last to sing at night. There is even a color named “Robin’s Egg Blue” which almost everyone seems to recognize. It may seem super common, but just because they are numerous and something you see every day, it does not make them any less cool.

I chose to write about these birds today because honestly, they chose me. I was just thinking about which bird to spotlight next on my blog and on my way to my car I was walking by the art building. There is a sidewalk that goes behind the building where the art classes store some of their metal scraps and some other various materials. All of a sudden I see a bird swoop down towards a man coming out the back door of the building. The bird was squawking loudly and had its feathers all poofed up in a huff. The bird flew across to the fence facing the building and continued to chirp an “alert” call. I recognized this sound as the tweet the robins use in my backyard when my dog is approaching a baby bird or a nest. I said to the man “There must be a nest over there.” He was laughing because I think it spooked him. He said the bird had been flying in and out of that area all day. Sure enough, when we walked closer to the doorway there was a nest in the corner of a metal archway above our heads. I’m not sure what the contraption is actually used for. But it really did make a nice spot for the robin’s nest. Hopefully the robins won’t get too bothered by the door opening and closing—but I’m pretty sure they will be just fine because I have seen nests in weirder places!

I think my favorite thing about robins is their nesting habits and their ability to care for their young so diligently. We have a robin family who visits our windowsill (actually it’s above the window) every Spring. It is one of my favorite times to observe nature in my backyard. From the time the robins begin building their detailed nests, until the day the first fledgling hops out of it, the robins provide entertainment and photo opportunities galore. Robins will usually return to the same nesting site every year. They will typically have 2 to 3 broods of eggs in one season. They use the same nest so they take a lot of time to carefully build it. 

It is difficult to determine the sex of an American Robin. Female robins look just like males, except their reddish-orange under parts are duller and their heads are not quite as black as the male. If, however, you see a robin building a nest, it is the female. The female robin chooses the nest site and builds the nest from the inside out. She uses the wrist of one wing to press dead grass and twigs into a cup shape. Robins will use other materials they find including feathers, paper, hair or even yarn. The female bird reinforces the nest using mud gathered from worm castings. This makes the nest heavier and more sturdy. Fine dry grass lines the inside of the nest and it is ready to be used.

The American Robin is the largest of the North American Thrushes. They are commonly spotted in neighborhoods and parks. They are almost always seen hopping around in the grass hunting for food. Robins mostly eat earthworms but they also eat invertebrates, fruits and berries. I even have a robin who visits underneath my bird-feeder and looks for fallen nuts and seeds. Sometimes robins will eat enough honeysuckle berries to become intoxicated. They tend to eat more worms in the morning and the berries in the evening. While bounding across grass the robin will cock his head to the side keeping his eyes on the ground looking for movement from bugs and worms. Often it appears as if the birds are actually listening to the ground but they are really just using their eyes to find prey.

And now for some sad facts. On average, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those fledged young survive to November. From that point on, about half of the robins alive in any year will make it to the next. Despite the fact that a lucky robin can live to be 14 years old, the entire population turns over on average every six years. This is all due to many factors. Because the robin feeds on lawns, he can be poisoned by pesticides. Robins are also preyed upon by hawks, snakes, cats and dogs. In fact, my 15 year old mutt Lucy unfortunately got ahold of 2 fledglings this summer and it was devastating for me to witness. After the mom and dad bird took so much time and care to raise and feed their little babies it was really hard to see them get caught by my dog. I guess that’s nature’s way. But many of the babies did survive and they are flying around the neighborhood singing to us today.

Here on campus I have seen many robins:  young fledglings, juveniles and adults. I was especially happy to see the new nest by the art building. There is something really special about a bird’s nest. It makes me proud of the birds and hopeful for their babies. Also, I’m happy to see a new nest on campus because that means ultimately—more birds!