American Robin

Elaine R. Wilson, Wikimedia Commons

Turdus migratorius

You know spring has sprung when you start seeing Robins everywhere. I looked out of the window today and saw 10 in the yard! Fun fact from All About Birds, Robins do actually overwinter throughout much of their territory in the United States. While some do head to Mexico for the winter and others head to Canada for the summer, most stay put all year. So why do we associate them with the spring? In actuality, they are likely just more active as spring returns. There is more food available and they are noisier and more gregarious as they look for mates.

Even though they are considered common birds and are found throughout most of North America, I still get excited every time I see one. I feel like I have spotted a bird celebrity! Perhaps I am influenced by the folklore that they are harbingers of good fortune. Perhaps I should by a lottery ticket after seeing so many at once!

Their most distinguishing feature is their “red” breast. I know, it is orange, but go back a while and there was no word for the color orange. People just called it red. That’s why gingers are called red heads and not orange heads. It wasn’t until relatively recently that people started calling the yellow red color orange. The color was named after the fruit and not the other way around. That is your etymological lesson for the day. 😊

Back to Robins – they are common backyard visitors, so you have a good chance of seeing one.  They eat both fruit and invertebrates, but apparently if they eat too many honeysuckle berries, they become intoxicated. I have never seen a drunk Robin, but it is now on my bucket list.
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Next time you are out and about, look for these delightful birds!

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