American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

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 American Robin (Muscicapidae: Turdus migratorius)

There is probably no bird in North America so generally recognized as the American Robin. Most people just call it a Robin, but there is an unrelated Old World species also called "Robin" and the English used the name for it before it was ever applied to the North American species. The species occurs and breeds throughout the United States and Canada except for the extreme north. The American Robin overwinters in most of the United States except in the north-central part of the country.

Identifying Features: The American Robin is easily recognized by the orange breast and the dark gray head and back. American Robins are common found on the ground, usually lawns. The young lack the orange breast and have a white breast spotted with dark brown.

Similar Species: The American Robin is unlikely to be misidentified with any other species in the Eastern Deciduous Forest. The young might be mistaken for other thrush species more typical of the deep forest.

Habitat: American Robins are found in just about every type of habitat except the most dry. They are common and abundant in open forest, parks, and the lawns of suburbia.

Food: Worms, insects, and fruit make up the majority of the American Robin's Diet.

Behavior: American Robins spend most of their time on the ground and are abundant on the lawns, parks, and agricultural lands of both the United States and Canada. The species is strongly migratory, flying from their wintering range in the United States, northward into Canada and Alaska except for the extreme tundra. American Robins commonly migrate in large flocks.

Reproduction: American Robins commonly have 2 broods of young a year. A average brood contains 3 to 5 blue-green eggs (robin-egg blue). The nest is a strong cup of mud reinforced with grass and twigs and lined with softer grasses. The nest is commonly concealed in a bush or tree, although sometimes the nests are found out in the open.