• The American Robin, Turdus migratorius, probably the most well-known of all North American bird species, is a member of the thrush family.

• Although Robins are known for their red-orange breasts, they can be further distinguished by a nearly complete white eye-ring and gray back and wings.  When in flight, a black tail is noticeable.  The male’s breast is typically a deeper red than the female, which also has some white under her bill.

• Robins are commonly seen looking for worms and grubs in lawns and fields in the warmer months and they flock to trees at night. During the winter, fewer Robins are seen on the Front Range, and they tend to spend more time in flocks where they feed on berries in trees.

• Robins are highly adaptable and easily make themselves at home in both human landscapes and uninhabited areas. This helps explain why Robins are one of the most abundant land birds in North America.

• Robins are one of the first species to lay eggs each spring and will normally have two or three broods a summer.  The female alone builds the nest in dense shrubs or forked tree branches and she is the lone incubator. She will lay 3-5 “robin’s-egg-blue” eggs which will hatch 14 days after laying.  The male brings food to the female during incubation and helps feed the chicks.  A new nest is built for each brood. 

• The chicks fledge after just 14 days in the nest and will become capable of flight in another 14 days.  Juveniles are easy to identify by the black speckles on their faintly red breasts.

• Some of the Robins we see in Colorado are year-round residents – others migrate here from the southern US or Mexico in the spring, while some migrate as far north as Canada.



• The American Robin was named by early settlers due to its red breast that reminded them of the European Robin.  In fact, the two species are not related - the European Robin is a member of the flycatcher family (not the thrush family).

Sources: volunteer Leslie Dixon, Sibley’s Birds West, massaudubon.org, Wikipedia