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.
Robins can have one to three broods per year and build a new nest for each. Robins often return to the same area, yard, even tree annually to nest.
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.
The well-known phrase, 'When robins appear, loved ones are near', alludes to the belief that the robin is a messenger. When robins are seen, some people take comfort that loved ones are at peace, and many believe that their lost loved ones are visiting them.
The easiest way to attract a robin to your garden is to provide a source of food. Insects and invertebrates make up most of a robin's diet, with seeds and fruit also eaten in winter. Your garden will be even better for robins if you make it a home for their natural prey.
No, robins do not mate for life. Pairs usually remain together during an entire breeding season, which can involve two or three nestings. However, in spring, sometimes a male and female who mated the previous year will both return to the same territory and end up together for another year.
In addition to bushes, hedge banks and trees, an adult or juvenile robin can be found sleeping in log piles, wellies, sheds and even under car bonnets. They also appreciate the security and warmth that nesting boxes and hanging baskets provide. Here, they can stay warm and hidden under a roof canopy.
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.
It's interesting to note that birds exhibit many of the grieving behaviors we do: their posture droops, they appear listless, and often cry real tears. Certain birds—jay birds, pigeons, and ospreys—will remain near where their baby died for long periods of time.
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.
The male robin is brighter in color than the female. His eye ring, bright beak color, black head, and white throat markings all show this bird is a male. The female's feathers look washed out and faded compared to the darker, richer colors of the male.
Robins have two broods a year. Three successful broods a year is not uncommon, and in a good year even four are known. These multiple broods result in a long breeding season, and nestlings can be found until late July.
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.
If the robin's partner died early in the breeding season, the widowed bird may find a new mate and raise a clutch in the same year.
The male doesn't have a brood patch and doesn't know how to brood eggs. If it was the male who died, the female might continue to incubate, but may just give the nest up for lost because the chances of bringing off more than one or two nestlings is very slight with just her to feed them.
Mother birds only spend a few days sleeping with the babies after they hatch. For the most part, they do not sleep in the nest with their babies unless the temperature is low enough to jeopardize the survival rate of the babies. The young grow feathers quickly and soon are able to retain their own heat.
Robins help control insect populations. They also are very important for spreading seeds and for the growth of new trees and bushes in new areas. The fruit they eat contains seeds, which robins may drop in other places. The breeding season for robins is from April through July.
Robins sing nearly all year round and despite their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders.
1 The bird has very sharp eyesight and hearing; the familiar back and forth cocking of its head as the bird hops along the ground is the robin's effort to see and hear the movement of worms or beetles beneath the ground.
Robin eggs
The female typically lays two to four light blue eggs - about the size and weight of a quarter (see photo). The female incubates the eggs over a two-week period and both parents care for the young. The eggs take around two weeks to hatch and the chicks will fledge when they are about 12 to 14 days old.
Noisemakers, like wind spinners or wind chimes, can scare off robins. Other popular options include brightly colored ribbons, Mylar streamers, or sonic repellents, which can frighten robins away from your property.
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.