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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
02/27/2011
The robins have left us and are headed north to enjoy their summer. Before they moved on, this guy posed nicely for me at Merritt Island late last month.
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An unlikely pair sharing the morning sun in a treetop.
I was happy to see a mature Red-tailed Hawk posed in a way that highlighted the bright red of his tail, and surprised that a Robin decided to share the same treetop -- although a healthy Robin has little to fear from a big hawk like a Red-tail while on the wing.
The shot gives a good sense of the comparative size of the birds.
This was taken out in the backyard. I can't be certain, but I think what we see on his beak is the aftermath of his raid of the backyard cherry tree.
Camera: Sigma SD14
Lens: Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro
A very windy, somewhat chilly day. Took a backyard walk and discovered a nearby Robin upset that I'd gotten too close to her nest. I couldn't resist a quick shot of these nestlings before leaving the scene.
It is generally thought that English settlers in America named the American Robin after its orange-breasted English namesake. But the name Robin was not commonly used in Britain at the time of the settlers arriving in America. In Britain, Robin was originally an alliterative couplet with Redbreast (ie Robin Redbreast, a bit like Jenny Wren). The names Robin and Redbreast also competed with each other in the literature, and the name Robin only became commonly used in Britain by the late nineteenth century. Redbreast appeared in print as the preferred name as late as 1912. But American Robin was described new to science way back in 1766 by the Swede Linnaeus. Which left me wondering whether the pioneers might have called this bird (American) Redbreast, or even (American) Robin Redbreast, given that was the more usual term for the British species at that time. I think John James Audubon (c1838) labeled it "American Robin or Migratory Thrush", the latter being a direct translation of its scientific name. So it would appear this species has always been known as American Robin. But I would welcome any comments on the subject as my own library is a bit sparse on old American bird books.
American Robin, Turdus migratorius, on a suet feeder. In years of hanging suet feeders I had never seen a robin feeding at one until about three days ago. This fellow stood on the deck railing (just out of sight below the feeder) and pecked upward to get at the food. Only today did he alight on the feeder and feed in the manner of other birds that frequent the suet feeder.
...same bird as in preceding photo.
The American Robin ranges across almost the entire North American continent from the northern reaches of Alaska and Canada to as far south as southern Mexico. Normally migrates from most of Canada in winter, but winters regularly from southern Alaska, portions of southern most Canada and the north - central United States south throughout the continental United States, as well as large areas of northern Mexico, and the western Caribbean.
Habitat is just about everywhere across the entire continent. Gardens, parks, yards, golf courses, fields, pastures, tundra, as well as deciduous woodlands, pine forests, shrublands, and forests regenerating after fires or logging. During winter many Robins move to moist woods where berry-producing trees and shrubs are common.
American Robins eat large numbers of both invertebrates and fruit. Particularly in spring and summer they eat large numbers of earthworms as well as insects and some snails. (They have rarely been recorded eating shrews, small snakes, and aquatic insects.) Robins also eat an enormous variety of fruits, including chokecherries, hawthorn, dogwood, and sumac fruits, and juniper berries. Especially during Fall and winter. Estimates put plant matter between 60 - 75% of the Robin's diet. When they eat honeysuckle berries exclusively, they sometimes become intoxicated.
The American Robin can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, though, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those fledged young survive to November. From that point on, about half of the Robins alive in any year will make it to the next. Despite the fact that a lucky Robin can live to be 14 years old, the entire population turns over on average every six years.
ISO800, aperture f/6.3, exposure .004 seconds (1/250) focal length 420mm
Photographed the American Robin perched on the communication cable in Mountjoy Township in the City of Timmins Northeastern Ontario Canada
By May 25, while many migrants are still on the move, the resident robins are already fledging their first brood.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) searching for food on an acreage in the rural area outside of Duncan on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
4 April, 2010.
Slide # GWB_20100404_7810.CR2
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A flock of American Robins descended on the holly tree and were stripping it bare of berries. They were eating the easy ones first but as the berries disappeared they started to hover for the harder to reach ones.
male American robin
From Wikipedia: The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family.
American robins are active mostly during the day and assembles in large flocks at night. Its diet consists of invertebrates (such as beetle grubs, earthworms, and caterpillars), fruits, and berries. It is one of the earliest bird species to lay eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning to its summer range from its winter range.
The adult robin is preyed upon by hawks, cats, and larger snakes, but when feeding in flocks, it can be vigilant and watch other birds for reactions to predators.
The American robin is a known reservoir (carrier) for West Nile virus. Please don't touch it.
Robins are down in numbers from a month ago, but this brightly colored male is interested in a bath in the drip pond.
Lots of birds are nesting or have chicks already at this time.
This young robin was in the trees by my house.
American Robin (turdus migratorius) nesting in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, western Washington | July 2009.
Happy Feathery Friday!
This American Robin has been enjoying the grapes I toss out onto the grass this spring. After a while, they get tired of them, but grapes are a reliable attractant this time of year.
An American Robin stands over an Eastern Bluebird fledgling, wings raised and beak open in warning. She has the smaller bird pinned down in the grass.
I captured this tense encounter on a spring morning in an open grassy area. The fledgling had wandered too close to her nest, triggering a swift and fierce response.
Robins are highly territorial during nesting season, especially females guarding nearby young. This one didn’t just chase off the intruder, she physically subdued it, a rare moment of avian aggression that underscores how fiercely birds defend their young.
When I came back from the mailbox I had to walk a wide circle around the robin. He was hopping down the sidewalk with his bugs. Apparently he didn't think he had enough yet and was looking for more bugs. When I went in the house he was still hopping on the sidewalk in front of my neighbor's house now.
Male American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
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