American Robin by Errol Taskin

Cool facts

Hundreds of thousands of American Robins can gather in a single winter roost. In summer, females sleep on the nests and males congregate in roosts. As young robins become independent, they join the males in the roost. Female adults go to the roosts only after they have finished nesting.

American Robins have an expandable esophagus which they will use to store extra fruit on cold winter nights.

Robins can be aggressive when it come to defending food supplies. One robin was observed defending a fruiting crab apple tree against 15 Cedar Waxwings!

Sound

Song is a musical whistled, "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up." Call is a sharp "chup."

To listen to the songs of this species click here.

Habitat

Cities, towns, suburbs; gardens, parks, woodlands

by L.Page Brown

Food

Earthworms and fruit.

Did you know?

On average only 40 percent of American Robin nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those young survive to November.

Only about half of the robins alive in any year will make it to the next.  A lucky robin can live to be 14 years old.

To learn more about American Robins please visit All About Birds.