The American Robin – a Common Backyard Visitor
Did you know that the American robin is the largest thrush in North America? While most of us are familiar with this common backyard visitor, there are some things you may not know about it.
For instance, American robins are one of the first birds to start singing in the morning and one of the last birds we hear in the evening. “Cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up” is one of their more familiar songs that they often sing while perched in a tree.
Males are not only more vocal than females, but also slightly larger and more brightly coloured. Adult American robins have grey-brown backs, characteristic reddish breasts, white bellies, white chins, yellow bills and throats with dark streaks. Juveniles have dark speckles on their backs and on their cinnamon-coloured breasts.
Found throughout North America, the breeding or summer range of the American robin spreads across every province and territory of Canada. During the winter, most migrate as far south as southern Mexico and Guatemala. However if food is still available, some may stay to brave our cold Canadian winters.
The American robin is one of the few species that benefits from increasing urbanization — forest loss actually increases its breeding habitat. It can be found in wooded areas, around towns, on lawns, and in gardens and fields, and builds nests in shrubs and trees.
The American robin’s diet is made up of approximately 40 per cent invertebrates and 60 per cent fruit. During the spring and summer, it eats invertebrates such as earthworms, caterpillars and beetles, and in the fall and winter switches to fruits such as viburnum, sumac, chokecherries and tomatoes. Young are fed invertebrates including grubs and earthworms.
Males are the first to return to the breeding ground and females usually follow within a week. Pairs form but only last until the young are raised. The breeding season typically lasts from April through July.
While the male may bring nesting materials, it is the female that selects the site and constructs the nest. She chooses a location that offers protection and support, often the crotch of a tree or even a window ledge. The nest is cup-shaped and is made out of available materials such as grass, paper, twigs, feathers and even string. She lines the inside of the nest with mud, adding grass for comfort. In this nest she lays three to five blue-coloured eggs.
The female begins incubation once all the eggs are laid. She periodically stops incubating to rotate the eggs and may then fly away for a break. The male may help incubate if he is nearby. The eggs hatch after 12 to 14 days. Weighing only 5.5 grams, both parents are involved in the busy task of feeding the young as many as 40 meals a day.
The young leave the nest at around two weeks of age, but aren’t fully independent until they’re four weeks old. The female robin often lays another clutch, sometimes even before the first set leaves the nest. In this case, the male takes care of the first brood while the female tends to the second. She may even lay a third clutch depending on the area and the availability of resources.
American robins fall prey to many predators. Eggs and young are common prey for squirrels, snakes and birds, such as crows, ravens and blue jays. In addition, adults are lost to cats, owls and hawks. With so many predators, it’s not surprising that American robins only live an average of two years.
While American robins can sometimes cause damage to crops, they are mostly beneficial in that they aid in seed dispersal and help control insects, such as caterpillars, weevils and beetles.
It is important not to use pesticides because American robins spend a lot of time on our lawns feeding on earthworms and other invertebrates. If you add fall leaves as mulch in your flower beds, you will give them some additional foraging areas.
Robins love fruit, so provide them with cherry, crab apple, grapes, chokecherry, hackberry, elderberry, holly, serviceberry, dogwood, viburnum and other berry-producing trees and shrubs. Don’t forget to add fruits that will still be around for those early spring arrivals. Sumacs are great for that time of year when a late snowfall can play havoc with a robin’s chance of finding insect prey.
Robins like to nest in shade trees, often choosing balsam poplar, alder, apple or maple trees. However, early nests are often placed in coniferous trees, such as spruce, fir or hemlock. If you are hoping for some baby robins on your property, be sure to add at least one or two of these trees.
In trying to attract the American robin and other songbirds to your property, always remember the three basic principles for attracting wildlife — food, water and shelter. By encompassing all three of these concepts into your backyard, you will be helping songbirds throughout the year. Further information on these principles can be found in our Attracting Wildlife section.