Basic Info & Identification
Scientific name: Turdus migratorius
Order / Family: Passeriformes, family Turdidae (thrushes)
Habitat: Open woodlands, lawns, parks, gardens; also found in wilder areas (mountain forests, Alaskan wilderness)
Feeding / Behavior: Ground forager — often seen running, stopping, and peering for worms or insects
Appearance & Behavior
Robins are well-known for their warm orange (reddish) breast against a gray-brown back and dark head.
In flight, a white patch on the lower belly and under the tail may be visible.
Females tend to have paler heads and less contrast than males.
Their song is a clear, lilting whistle.
Ecology, Diet & Feeding
Diet: • In spring and summer: earthworms, insects, snails • In fall and winter: a large portion of their diet comes from fruit and berries (e.g. chokecherries, hawthorn, dogwood, sumac, juniper)
They may forage more for worms in the morning and eat more fruit later in the day.
Some interesting behaviors: they may stare motionless, cocking their heads to one side to detect prey in soil
Reproduction & Life History
Robins may attempt up to three broods per year.
However, only ~ 40% of nests successfully produce young.
Of the fledged young, only ~ 25% survive to November.
Of the population alive in any year, ~ 50% survive to the next year (on average).
The oldest recorded American Robin was almost 14 years old (13 years, 11 months).
Seasonal Patterns & Roosting
Despite their association with spring, many American Robins overwinter in parts of their breeding range.
In winter, they tend to roost in large flocks; some winter roosts may host hundreds of thousands of birds.
In summer, females may sleep at their nest, while males gather in roosts.
Conservation & Notes
Conservation status: Low Concern (i.e. not currently threatened)
As they forage heavily on lawns (and thus are exposed to chemicals), they can serve as indicators of pesticide pollution.
Some additional “fun facts”: • When eating only honeysuckle berries, robins have been known to become intoxicated. • They are sometimes aggressive in defending fruiting trees — one robin was observed defending a crab apple tree against 15 Cedar Waxwings.
