To some, it’s the first sign of spring. To others, it might be the first bird they recognized as a young child. For still others, it’s a familiar sight, nesting in nearby trees or under the eaves of the family home. Some even consider it a harbinger of good luck and happiness. It is the state bird for both Wisconsin and Michigan.
I’m talking, of course, about the American robin. This member of the thrush family can be found in every one of the contiguous 48 states plus Alaska and the District of Columbia. It makes its home everywhere from urban parks and suburban yards to open grasslands and mountainous woodlands.
Adult male and female robins can be difficult to tell apart. Both have rust-colored chests, yellow beaks, black heads and gray wings and backs. Female coloring is generally somewhat duller than that of males, but it’s still difficult to tell them apart. Males are considerably more vocal, but both sexes can produce a variety of cheerful tunes. You’ll most commonly hear them at daybreak and twilight, as well as when it’s about to rain.
The robin’s diet consists mainly of insects (especially beetles), earthworms and berries. Their quest for worms is aided by their keen sight and hearing, which enable them to detect the small movements in the grass and soil that indicate a meal lurks just below the surface. Robins are particularly fond of honeysuckle berries, which slowly ferment in the late summer and fall. This can result in drunk birds which have trouble telling up from down. As a child growing up in Northern Wisconsin, we had to keep the curtains closed on our picture windows at this time of year so robins wouldn’t fly head-long into them. Since I moved to Washington DC, fermented berries aren’t so readily available, resulting in more sober, well-behaved birds.
Robins may seem happy and cheerful, but they are actually intensely territorial, especially the males. Breeding pairs will stake their claim on an area measuring anywhere from 15,000 to 130,000 square feet and will aggressively attack trespassing members of their own species, sometimes even fighting to the death. Yikes.
To see robins for yourself, oftentimes you need only look out your window. Otherwise they can be seen in parks and other grassy areas, especially just after it rains since this brings worms up to the ground’s surface.
If you would like to attract robins to your home, a shallow bird-bath is a good place to start. Make sure you thoroughly clean it and change the water regularly to avoid spreading diseases.
Simple nesting platforms can also attract them. They won’t use traditional birdhouses, but will make use of a simple open-front nesting box. Dimensions should be 8″x8″x8″ and placement should be in a sheltered spot, at least six feet off the ground.
While uninterested in bird seed, robins are attracted by mealworms. You can serve them live, dried, or dried and soaked in water. Chopped apples and small berries are also on the menu for our red-breasted friends.
However you attract them or wherever you see them, watching the American robin is a fun and cheerful experience for young and old alike.
By Steven Roberts
