Amazing Robin Facts

Amazing Robin Facts

1. The red breasted bird is the UK’s favourite bird. You normally see them flying about at Christmas day. At night they normally sing around the lamppost.

2. A robin lives in a garden because they like the food that the garden provides.

3. A robin is famed for its red breast. It is a small bird with a pointed beak. It has a small round black eye and brown the feather wings. 

4. The robin eats peanuts, insects, seeds and grain. It can feed off the ground. It uses its sharp beak to get the insects.

5. Members of the thrush family, which also includes bluebirds, solitaires and Wood Thrushes

6. Named by early colonists for the European Robin they had left behind; the two are distantly related; both have red breasts

7. Male robins have a dark gray’ almost black, back and tail with a rust/brick colored breast.
 Female is paler all over
 Juveniles have a spotted breast.

8. American Robins can be found throughout North America at some time during the year.

9. Those living in the West tend to be paler in color and often lack the white markings on the outer corners of their tail

10. Most American Robins migrate in flocks primarily during the daylight hours.

11. Females migrate to areas where food is more abundant to help insure they are in top condition for the rigors of raising young in the spring.

12. While the majority of American Robins migrate south each fall, a small number of stragglers usually remain behind and endure the winter.

13. The majority of over-wintering robins are males trying to insure they have first choice of nesting territories in the spring.

14. Male robins that migrate usually arrive on the breeding grounds up to two weeks before the females return.

15. Robins usually return to the same area to nest each year and may occasionally use last year’s nest again after some renovation.

16. Only the male sings, but both sexes have calls and alarm notes.

17. You typically hear robins first thing on a spring morning and the last thing before dark.

18. Typically nest from April through July and can have 2-3 broods in a season.

19. Females build the nest and incubate the eggs alone.

20. Unlike most birds, robins do not lay their eggs at sunrise
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21. They lay their eggs several hours later during the mid-morning.

22. Since earthworms are easier to find in the early morning, they feed first and then return to their nest to lay their egg.

23. Over 50% of all nesting attempts by robins fail to produce young.

24. Out of the successful nesting attempts, only ¼ of the fledglings will survive until November.

25. Robins eat a variety of insects and berries and change their feeding habits depending on the time of day.

26. It’s been noted that robins eat 14 FEET of earthworms in a day.

27. Worms only make up about 15% - 20% of a robin’s summer diet
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28. Locate earthworms by cocking their head to one side, using each eye to look for visible signs of worms.

29. You will likely find robins in your yard after a rain or after the sprinkler has been on or even after the lawn has been mowed, as this brings worms and insects to the surface.

30. Robins also feed on wild and cultivated fruits and berries and insects such as beetle grubs, caterpillars, and grasshoppers.

31. The average lifespan of a robin is 1 ½ years.

32. The oldest known robin lived to be 14 years old.

33. Robins have become symbols of Christmas-time in Britain and are often depicted on Christmas cards. The idea originates from the time when Christmas notepaper showed a robin delivering the Christmas post; it seems that in those days postmen were called robins because they wore red tunics!