The American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
is the largest of North American thrushes and 
is
one of the most familiar songbirds in the eastern United States.
Thrushes are members of the Turdidae family. They form a group
of about 300 species, which are found worldwide, and share several
traits, including the fused scutes or scales at the rear of the
legs and the spotted plumage of the young. These are large-eyed,
slender billed, stout-legged songbirds. They are among the finest
of singers.
Robins vary in size from 9 to 11 inches.
Typically, they are gray-backed with a brick-red breast. The
male's head and tail are blackish; in the female they are grayer.
Robins have white markings around the eye, under the chin and
on the tips of the outer tail feathers. The bill is yellow. Young
Robins have speckled breasts, but their gray back and rusty underparts
identify them. Robins have an erect stance as they cross lawns
in search of food. They feed on garden and field insects, worms,
cultivated and wild fruits, and some seeds.
The voice is a series of 6-10 whistled
phrases of 3 or 4 notes, rising and falling, often long and continued.
Notes are tyeep and tut-tut-tut.
The nest, a mud-walled, grass-lined bowl,
is usually built in the crotch of a tree or among the branches
and sometimes on buildings. The female Robin lays from 3-5 blue
eggs (size:1.2 x .8 inches). The eggs are incubated for 12 days.
Both parents tend the young, which fly in 14-16 days. There can
be 2 or 3 broods raised each season.
They are found in Alaska, Canada, throughout the United States
to southern Mexico. They winter mainly south of Canada, some
all the way to Guatemala. The map shows the Robin's winter range
in blue, summer range in green and its year-round habitat in
amber. The typical habitat of the American Robin is in towns,
on lawns, in farmland, open forest and streamsides; in winter
they frequent fruit-bearing trees. Most Robins are highly migratory,
spending the winter in flocks in the southern United States,
but a few winter as far north as southern Canada. They migrate
during the day.
The little Robins shown above at left and
right are Ty Beanie Babies. The second from left is a Wild Republic
Audubon Bird. It is about 6 inches
long. Wild Republic, maker of these birds, has joined hands with
the National Audubon Society to create this line of birds.
Each bird's lifelike design and detailing
is the result of input from Audubon. Additionally the sounds
in each toy are authentic bird songs provided by The Cornell
Lab of Ornithology . Wild Republic's affiliation with these two
bird organizations emphasizes its commitment to nature conservation.
Available through Jeannie's
Cottage. We also carry the Keepsake
Boxes and the Bells.
