Robin Facts | Fun Facts About the American Robin

Fun Facts About the American Robin They might be one of our most common birds, but there is plenty you don't know about this thrush
The American Robin is a long-time icon of the spring season, known for its bright orange belly and beautiful song!
Robins are very popular birds both here in North America, as well as in Europe. In fact, it is the national bird of Great Britain!
There are dozens of different bird species across the globe-chats, flycatchers, thrushes-that include the word “robin” in their common name. The American Robin belongs to the thrush family, which also includes bluebirds and solitaires.
The male American Robin sings the most beautiful tune… he is often the last bird heard as the sun sets.
The American Robin is the state bird for Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Robins have a sweet tooth! Fruits, berries, sweet cakes, and even pastry dough are their favorites.
The male and female look surprisingly similar, although if you look closely, the female is a bit duller than the male.
Often considered harbingers of spring, not all American Robins are migratory. While many northern robin populations migrate south during the winter in search of food, others remain somewhat local, forming groups that roam the countryside in search of the berries they prefer during the cold winter months. At night, these large and noisy flocks will roost in trees together.
Like most other migratory birds, robins don’t maintain pair bonds and often take on new mates each spring. At the breeding grounds, male robins put on strutting courtship displays for females. At dawn, they belt their melodious tunes, shake their wings, fluff their tail feathers, and puff their white-striped throats to entice lady robins.
The American Robin is a known carrier for the West Nile virus. The Robin is able to hold the virus longer than other species, hence spreading it to more mosquitoes!
Drunk Robins!? Yes, Robins sometimes will flock to fermented berries. By ingesting large quantities, they appear to be drunk and exhibit behaviors such as falling over while walking.
Robins are known for their running and stopping behavior - it is one of their main characteristics!
Robin nests are often a target of parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds, who lay their speckled eggs among the robin's eggs. But a study found that robins are extremely efficient at recognizing and removing these unwanted eggs from their nests before they hatch and become competition for robin chicks.
urbanization, and its associated light and noise pollution are affecting these birds. Bright lights are making city robins sing their morning songs much before the crack of dawn, and their songs are becoming more high-pitched to overcome the din of traffic.
The eggs take around two weeks to hatch and the chicks will fledge when they are about 14 to 16 days old. The female may have two broods a year. The young are born with their eyes shut and first open their eyes around five days after hatching.