American Robin

Turdus migratorius L 10" (25 cm)

Photo by Lang Elliott. Listen to an American robin.

Well-known even among non-bird watchers, the robin is found almost everywhere in North America. Seen at all seasons foraging on open grassy areas, robins migrate south in winter, but may spend the winter as far north as Canada. The classic "first robin of spring" may be a bird that has spent the entire winter in a nearby woodland. Another myth surrounding this species is that it may locate earthworms, a primary prey item, by sound--hearing the worms moving underground. This has not been proven by scientific study. It's much more likely that the robin forages by sight rather than by sound. The robin's song is a loud, rich series that sounds like cheerily, cheer-up, cheerio, which is often sung most fervently at dawn. The robin's call is tut-tut-tut.