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May High Desert Bird of the Month: American Robin 

AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE

In colder climes in the Midwest and East, the return of the Robin is one of the first harbingers of spring.  Although some Robins do migrate to warmer areas in winter, a good portion of our area’s population are year-round residents. While Robins are common town and city birds, they are equally at home in mountain forests and the Alaskan wilderness.

Robins are the largest members of the thrush family.  Take notice of the robin’s upright posture with tail down and beak pointed upward; this is the basic shape of most thrushes.  They are gray-brown with warm orange underparts and a dark head.  Females have a paler head with less contrast to the gray back.

Spring through fall you are most likely to see American Robins foraging on grassy areas, looking for earthworms.  When foraging they will run a few steps, stop abruptly to stare at the ground with head cocked to the side.  It was once thought they were listening for worm movement; we now know they are listening to hear the worms underground.  It is great entertainment to watch them tug and tug to pull an earthworm out, and then see how incredibly quick they are to devour it.  Robins tend to eat more earthworms in the morning and more fruits later in the day.  Because they spend so much time on lawns, they are very susceptible to pesticide poisoning.

Robins generally are not seed eaters; but you can put out mealworms, raisins or cranberries soaked in warm water, apple pieces, and seed cylinders, especially in winter and during nesting season.  Robins are also crazy about water, so a birdbath will provide lots of entertainment for you and the birds.  Mealworms, seed cylinders and the feeders for them can be obtained at all three Moana Nursery locations.

American Robin males usually begin their courtship singing earlier in spring than other songbirds; and they begin singing before dawn and don’t quit till long after dark.  The females don’t sing, but both sexes have an extensive array of other calls and vocalizations. 

The female has most of the nest building duties.  The nest site is usually in a tree where there are two or more horizontal branches.  She builds the nest from the inside out, pressing twigs and grass into a cup shape using the wrist of one wing.  Once the cup is formed, she uses mud to reinforce the shape and make a heavy, sturdy nest.  The nest is then lined with fine dry grass.  If you install a nesting shelf on a wall or eave, robins may use this, also.  Robins may produce more than one brood per year, but on average, only forty percent of nests successfully produce young.  Of these, only about a quarter of the fledglings survive until November. 

Another wonderful event to witness is the young being taught to get their own food instead of being fed by the parents.  The scenario goes something like this – baby is following mom begging.  Mom pulls a worm out of the ground and tosses it on the ground in front of baby.  Baby continues begging.  Mom picks up worm, shakes it around a bit, throws it back down.  Baby continues begging.  At this point I have often seen mom take off and leave baby to look the whole situation over and figure out how to get the worm into his belly.  Other times I have seen the parent break the worm into small bits and offer them to baby.  The whole process is hilarious; if birds can get “frustrated,” then this is definitely the time for it!

Find out more about a frequently seen bird about town.

• Robins live on average about 1 ½ years, but can live up to five years. It typically takes about five to six days to build the nest. Put out a small pan of mud and nesting materials (short strings, yarn, dry grasses) and watch the robins collect materials to make their nests.
• Robins lay about four eggs and the female incubates the eggs for 12-14 days. Both parents guard the nest from danger. The babies are fully feathered in about 10 days and leave the nest in 14-16 days.
• The American Robin is a member of the thrush family, which also includes bluebirds, solitaires and the wood thrushes.
• The American Robin can be found throughout North America at some time during the year. Male robins have a dark gray to almost black back and tail with a rust/brick colored breast. The female is paler all over. The juvenile robins have a spotted breast.
• American Robins living in the western states tend to be paler in color and often lack the white markings on the outer corners of their tail.
• Male robins that migrate usually arrive on the breeding grounds up to two weeks before the females return.
• While they eat a variety of insects and berries, it has been noted that robins can eat up to 14' of earthworms in a day! Worms only make up about 15%-20% of the summer diet for American Robins.
• Robins don't find earthworms by hearing or smelling them. Robins find earthworms by cocking their head to one side, independently using each eye to look for visible signs of worms.
• You will likely find robins in your yard after a rain or after the sprinkler has been on or even after the lawn has been mowed, as this brings worms and insects to the surface.
• Robins can be attracted to a feeding station by offering mealworms, fruit and a birdbath. It's especially fun to offer mealworms during nesting season when the robins can stop and pick up a mouthful of tasty worms to take back to their babies. They will fill their mouth until you think nothing else could possibly fit inside and still continue to try to pick up more, dropping some in the process and then trying to pick those back up. It can be very entertaining!
• Robins change their feeding habits depending on the time of day as they will eat more earthworms early in the day, when they are easier to find, and then switch to fruit later in the day.
• Robins typically nest from April through July and can have 2-3 broods in a season. The female does the nest building. Upon hatching, both parents feed the average brood of four young. 
• You can put out a small pan of mud and nesting materials (short strings, yarn, dry grasses) and watch the robins come collect materials to make their nests.
• Robins usually return to the same area to nest each year and may occasionally use last year's nest again after some renovation.
• Robins are particularly vulnerable to pesticide poisoning due to their preference for foraging on lawns.

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