Wonders of Wildlife: American Robin

American Robin

Scientific Name: Turdus migratorius

Found in Alabama: Year-round, Statewide

Diet: Omnivore (eats plants and animals)

American Robin
Wikimedia – Alan & Elaine Wilson

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CLASSIFICATION

Scientists use basic traits to
group animals into different taxonomic
classes.

For a taxonomic classification chart comparing key traits of common backyard wildlife,
CLICK HERE!

What type of animal am I?

I am a vertebrate (an animal with a spine or backbone).
I am warm-blooded, so I can control my body temperature.
I have feathers on the outside of my body that keep me warm.
I breathe with lungs just like you.
I have 2 legs.
I have wings.

The American Robin is a BIRD!

IDENTIFICATION TIPS

Size:

Range in length from around 8 to 11 inches
Weigh 2.7 – 3 ounces
Wingspan ranges from 12.2 – 15.8 inches

Key Characteristics:

Large, round body, long legs, and long tail
Brownish gray on the back with an orange chest
Males have a slightly darker head than females
Throat is white with black streaks
White crescents above and below the eyes
White patch on belly and under tail that can be seen during flight
Bill is yellow with a darker colored tip

Young:

Similar in appearance to adults but have black spotting on uderparts and lighter spotting on upper parts.
Head is more pale than adults, and the throat appears white.

American Robin
flickr – Mr.TinDC

American Robin Juvenile
Wikimedia – K6ka

PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS

American Robins have long, strong legs:

American robins have long and sturdy legs, allowing them to easily run or hop.
They can be seen running and hopping while foraging for earthworms.
The ability to run and hop also helps them escape from predators (animals that eat them) and other threats.

Birds can fly:

Birds have feathers on their wings rather than hair like humans. Feathers are light, waterproof, and are adjustable for flight control.
Birds have lightweight beaks instead of heavy jaws and teeth like humans.
Most bones in their bodies are hollow or honeycombed, making them very lightweight. Some of their bones are fused for increased efficiency and lighter weight.
Birds have a larger and more efficient respiratory system than humans do since flight is a physically-demanding activity.

Birds can digest whole prey:

Birds do not have teeth and are not able to chew food. Because of this, they have a specialized part of their stomach, called a gizzard, that helps with digestion by grinding food.
The small stones, sand, and grit that birds pick up while they are eating are stored in the gizzard.
Once food is swallowed and makes its way to the gizzard, it is pulverized by the grit and stomach muscles.
Some birds like chickens, ducks, and turkeys have thick, muscular gizzards. Other birds that eat food items that are easy to digest, such as nectar and soft-bodied insects, have thin-walled gizzards.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

American Robins are diurnal:

They are active during the day (diurnal).

American Robins defend against predators:

During nesting season, American robins protect their chicks against any dangers or threats.
They give an alarm call to warn other birds in the area.
they may also fly towards the predator in a threatening manner in an to attempt to scare it away.

American Robins roost in large groups:

American robins form large groups, especially in the fall and winter.
These groups can contain up to 250,000 individuals.
By foraging for fruit in groups, they are able to more easily locate and defend feeding areas.
During the breeding season, females sleep at the nest with the eggs or the young while males roost (rest) with a larger group.
Young American robins join the roost when they have left the nest and can care for themselves.
Females join the large group when the breeding season is over.

Group of American Robins
flickr – Seabrooke Leckie

LIFE CYCLE

Life Cycle Stages of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Nest:

Female builds a cup-shaped nest composed of dead grass and twigs.
The nest is reinforced with soft mud.

Eggs:

Females lay 3-5 hard-shelled eggs per brood.
Each egg is sky blue or blue-green in color and reaches just over an inch long.
They have between 1 and 3 broods per year.

Young:

Babies hatch from the eggs after 12 – 14 days.
When they hatch, they have some soft white fluffy feathers.
They remain in the nest and complete their juvenile molt in 10 – 15 days.

Life Span:

Average of 2 years

American Robin Nest and Eggs
Wikimedia – Laslovarga

HABITAT NEEDS

Natural Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	In the spring and summer, they mainly eat earthworms and other invertebrates (animals without a spine or backbone). In the fall and winter, when invertebrates become more scarce, American robins rely on fruit producing trees for food. They eat fruits from chokecherries, hawthorn, dogwood, sumac, holly, blackgum, juniper, and other berry-producing trees.	Both parents provide nestlings with regurgitated (spit up) earthworms and other insects unitl they are about 4 days old. After the first few days, they are fed soft-bodied invertebrates (animals without a spine or backbone). Parents continue feeding young for about 4 weeks after hatching until the young become independent.
Water	Drink from ponds, slow moving waters, and puddles.	Hydration is obtained through food sources provided by the parents.
Shelter	Live in habitats including pastures, deciduous forests, pine forests, and mixed forests.	Nests are located in trees and provide shelter for the young.
Places to Raise Young	Nests are built in trees that provide good leaf coverage. They are usually located at least 5 feet above the ground.

If you want to offer resources in your backyard habitat for this species, consider the suggestions below.

Backyard Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	American robins forage within grass, so avoid pesticide use. Provide bird feeders.	Provide food sources at birdfeeders for the parents. Do not use pesticides on grass
Water	Provide a birdbath if a stream or pond is not located nearby.	Hydration obtained through food sources provided by the parents.
Shelter	Provide areas with dense foliage (leaf cover) or hedgerows.	Provide trees with dense foliage (leaf cover). Put up a nest structure in which the parents can build their nest. Young remain in the nest for about 2 weeks after hatching.
Places to Raise Young	Provide trees with dense foliage (leaves) or cover. Put up a nest structure in early spring before the breeding season begins to attract a breeding pair. They will build nests in gutters and eaves.

ECOLOGICAL ROLE

Food Source:

Adult American robins are eaten by Cooper’s hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and large snakes.
Eggs and nestlings are eaten by a variety of reptiles and mammals including squirrels and snakes.
American crows, American kestrels, blue jays, and common grackles also eat the young and the eggs.

Seed Dispersal:

Birds that eat fruits are responsible for spreading the seeds of the plants that they came from.
Sometimes birds simply carry the seed away from the tree before dropping it.
More often, after birds eat fruits and berries, they poop them out, covered in a natural fertilizer.
This helps new plants grow a distance away from the parent plant.
This form of seed dispersal (movement of seeds from one location to another) is an important part of plant reproduction and survival.

Predation by cats is the number one direct, human-caused threats to birds in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., as many as 2.4 billion birds are killed by cats each year. To read more about this, CLICK HERE!

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