American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Summary 7
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius), also known as the robin, is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family. The American Robin is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast. It is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan,...
Distribution 8
American robins are native to the Nearctic region. They occur year-round in southern Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia, throughout most of the United States and along the Sierra Madre into southern Mexico. They migrate south for the winter, going as far as southern Mexico and Guatemala. In summer they are found as far north as northernmost Canada and Alaska. American robins are the most abundant and widespread North American thrush.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Morphology 9
American robins are birds that measure 25 cm in length and average 77 g in weight. Males are only slightly larger than females. They are brown on their backs, reddish on the breast, and white on their lower belly and under their tail feathers. Their throats are white, streaked with black. They have white crescents above and below their eyes. Females are slightly paler in color than males. Young American robins have dark spots on their breasts and are also paler in color than adult males.
Average mass: 77 g.
Range length: 23 to 28 cm.
Average length: 25 cm.
Range wingspan: 119 to 137 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male more colorful
Average mass: 75.5 g.
Habitat 10
American robins occur mainly in woodlands, gardens, orchards, lawns, and fields. They prefer areas of open ground or short grass for foraging, with woodland or a few scattered trees and shrubs nearby for nesting and roosting. Suburban and agricultural areas often provide these kinds of habitats so American robins are common near humans. They need dense shrubs and small trees in which to build their nests. They build nests deep in dense foliage to protect their young from predators.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural ; riparian
Migration 11
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Most American robins that nest in Alaska, Canada, and northern United States migrate south for winter. The number of individuals staying north varies from year to year. Southward migrations may begin in August and can be extensive in October and November; specific timing varies among locations and years. Northward migrations begin in February in the southern United States. Arrivals in breeding areas in the northern United States occur mostly in March and April.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Eric Heupel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/34894709@N00/101735605
- (c) Brocken Inaglory, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Turdus_migratorius_with_worms_1.jpg
- (c) SalvadorDalaiLama, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3627007352_d97a85b402.jpg
- (c) Ltshears, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/American_Robin_0026.jpg/460px-American_Robin_0026.jpg
- (c) Juan Carlos Pérez Magaña, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Juan Carlos Pérez Magaña
- (c) rayc, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by rayc
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turdus_migratorius
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31428435
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31428437
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31428436
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28917329
