The American robin is a migratory bird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae, the wider thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family.
On average, robins only live a couple of years, but a few reach quite an advanced age. The oldest known wild individual was 11 years 5 months. Mortality is high and its causes are many and varied. Only around 40 per cent of fledged birds will survive from one year to the next.
The simple answer to this question is YES! Robins can recognise humans. For the most part, robins recognise a human's traits, such as the way they move, walk and even facial features. For the most part, though, robins closely follow your schedule and movements, especially when food is involved.
Many people believe that a visit from a Robin is a sign that a lost relative is visiting them, in the spiritual world Robins are viewed as a symbol of visits from our deceased loved ones. The Robin also symbolises new beginnings and life, and is also looked upon by many as a sign of fortune and good luck.
Q: Do robins return to the same place each year and do they use the same nest? A: They do not normally use the same nest year after year, but if they have good nesting success in a place, they very often return there. If not, they may move even within the same season.
How many times does a robin build a nest in one breeding season? A. Robins goes through the nest-building process each time they produce a new brood, so about two or three times a season. While robins might repair or build on top of a previous nest, most of them build a new nest for each "family" they raise.
Though most birds don't rest in the same place each and every night and have a choice of roosting sites they will all tend to be close to where the bird has spent the day feeding. Sleep can be a dangerous time for birds, due to danger from cold and predators.
The more time you spend with them, the more your Robins will become familiar with you and grow trust. In time they will be confident enough to eat from your hand. To gain their trust, place their favourite food 2 - 3 meters away from you and let them get used to eating near you.
There are a few reasons which may explain why robins appear friendlier than other birds. When robins live in the wild in woods or forests they are known to follow large mammals, such as wild boar or deer, using their inbuilt curiosity to find new ways to find food.
Robins feed on insects (especially beetles) and worms. You might notice one following you about as your dig up your garden hoping to nab a few worms as you unearth them. Robins can also eat fruit, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts and raisins. They particularly enjoy mealworms.
How smart are robins? A. Robins are not quick to learn new things as blue jays, and do not have as good reasoning power as jays. But they are adaptable, and can quickly figure out how to find food and shelter in a new area where they've never been before.
Birds Do Have Brains
And they are exceptionally intelligent creatures when it comes to socialization. In fact, it's the complex responses seen from bird socialization that leads scientists to believe they experience emotions at least to some degree.
This means that an adult or juvenile robin will typically sleep from 4.30pm until 8.30am in January in the UK, a total of 16 hours. In July, however, a robin would sleep from 9.30pm until 5.00am, giving them a total of 7.5 hours sleep.
They often sleep on low-hanging branches and in the nooks and crannies of tree trunks. Sleeping in trees allows them to make a quick escape if predators are nearby, as the rustling leaves alerts them.
Males have rust-colored feathers on their chest, a yellow bill, a black head, and white outlines around their eyes. They also have gray wings and backs. Female robins look similar to males, but their colors are much duller and sometimes blend together, making identification difficult.
We get a lot of people asking us this question, particularly when they have spotted two robins together in their garden. If you have seen two robins together then it is likely that they are a male and a female as robins are fiercely territorial and females will only enter a male's territory for breeding season.
Once the clutch is complete, incubation is by the female alone for 13 days. The shells of the hatched eggs are removed immediately from the nest by the female, who sometimes eats part of them for extra calcium.
Robins are one of the earliest birds to nest and can begin building as early as January if the weather is mild, although the breeding season usually begins in March. They start laying their eggs between mid-April and mid-August, with baby chicks fledging after around two weeks.
The mates stay closely bonded during the summer season. Each is responsible for certain jobs as they raise their babies. The female builds the nest, though the male often brings her some of the materials. He continues to sing as she lays the eggs and incubates them.
Birds, depending on their species, may sleep standing up, lying down, floating on the water, and even upside down.
Birds also exhibit signs of REM sleep. Are they dreaming? It's a fascinating question, but unfortunately there's no answer right now. In birds, the patterns of neuronal activity in different brain regions during REM sleep can be measured, but (obviously) scientists cannot ask birds about their dream content.