AMERICAN ROBIN

Biology and Migration

The American Robin is a familiar sight to most people who live in Connecticut. Named for a similar looking European bird, American Robins are medium sized birds that belong to the thrush family. Another well known thrush is the Bluebird.

Robins are dark gray in color on their backs and tail, with a darker head and rusty colored chest. Their beaks are yellow and they have a white ring around each eye. Robins are excellent flyers, but they are often seen on the ground hopping and running. Robins are known for finding and eating worms, but berries are a very important part of their diet as well. This is especially true once the weather turns cold and worms move deep underground. When food get scarce, robins will migrate south to find a place that has enough for them to survive.

Robins find a mate and build a nest early in the season, sometimes by the middle of April. They make their nest out of dead grasses, small twigs and mud, lining it with fine dry grass. Robins sit on their eggs for about two weeks. Once they hatch, baby robins are fed worms and grow quickly. Although they are tiny when they are born and have no flight feathers, they are nearly sthe size of their parents and ready to leave the nest in less than two weeks!

In the fall, many robins migrate south. The light gray areas on the map to the right show areas where robins can be found only in the warmer months. Birds that nest in this area must move south because the temperatures in this region are so cold in the winter. The dark gray areas are areas where robins live all year long. These areas have a more moderate climate in the winter and have a steady source of food for the robins evn in the winter months. The black areas on the map are places robins can be found only in the colder months of winter. These places are too hot in the summer for robins. Until recently, the return of the robin has been a sign of spring in the northern regions of North America. However, scientists are noticing changes in these patterns of behavior.

Environmental Science – Global Changes

More and more robins are not only nesting in Connecticut, but staying here throughout the year. It was once a rare sight to see a robin in the winter here in Connecticut, but now many people see robins in the middle of winter. Scientific research is proving that this change is indeed real. Many robins no longer leave Connecticut in the fall to migrate to warmer locations in the south. Also, many other robins that are migrating from Canada and northern New England are now deciding to go no further south than Connecticut. Connecticut now provides the right habitat for these birds to spend the winter. Forty or fifty years ago, bird watchers and scientists could only find about 1000 robins in the entire state of Connecticut during the winter. However, the number of winter robins has been growing, especially for the past fifteen years. Now it is not unusual to find more than 40,000 robins in Connecticut in the winter! What has changed to make this possible?

First, winter temperatures are getting milder and the season is shorter than ever before. This change in the climate makes it easier for robins to survive the winter temperatures in Connecticut. In addition, the milder climate makes it possible for many berry bearing plants to be successful and produce lots of berries. These berries provide additional food for robins and other fruit eating birds to survive until spring. Another change that has helped robins is the introduction to new plant species to Connecticut. Some of these plants are native to Asia or Europe, but have been planted here for a variety of reasons. Some of these plants, such as Asiatic bittersweet, autumn olive and multi-flora rose, can spread quickly and take the place of the plants that usually grow in our area. They do this by producing lots of lots of berries, which contain seeds. All of these additional berries provide even more food for the robins. Finally, humans have changed the habitat to suit the American Robin. Robins prefer open farmland and suburban areas where there are large patches of lawn where they can find worms, and large shhade trees for them to roost at night and make their nests. Connecticut neighborhoods are the pefect habitat for robins.

Conservation – How to Help

American Robins are doing well. There are more robins in North America than almost any other species of bird. While this is good for robins, having so many more robins than normal can have a negative effect on other species. Robins have a place in Connecticut's environment, but so do other native species. There may be some ways that we can change the habitat around us to make it less inviting to robins so they will return to their migratory ways and make room for other native species.

  • Remove non-native plant species that are providing such an abundance for food for the robins. Removing these plants and replacing them with native plants that produce smaller numbers of berries and fruits is a good start.
  • Replace areas of lawn with gardens that have a variety of plants that will help feed many species of birds and other wildlife. This can also help conserve water because native plants need less water than lawns.
  • Protect forests from development. The forest is a complex habitat that provides for a great many native species of plants and animals.

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