Cooperative Living May 2020 - 38

FeatheredFriends | Story and artwork by Carl " Spike " Knuth, Contributing Columnist
American Robin
As the song goes, 'No more sobbin' when
he starts throbbin' his old sweet song'
or beginning bird lovers, it's a
good bet that the American robin
was one of the first birds they
learned to identify. It is familiar and
widely known, in large part because
it has adapted to living with and close
to humankind. The American robin
is the largest member of the thrush
family. In more northerly climes, it is
often regarded as a harbinger of spring.
Despite what the calendar might say,
some birds begin their migrations in
February. Since Virginia is in the
northern portion of the wintering
range of many species, it's sometimes
hard to detect the first northward
movements of birds. So it is with the
American robin, which begins staging
for the northward migrations as early
as mid-January.
Early colonists from England named
it the robin because it had a reddishorange
breast and reminded them of
the robin redbreast of the European
robin. The robin was also known by
the name " fieldfare. " Its scientific name
is turdus migratorius, which means
" migrant thrush. " Included in this
family are the Eastern bluebird, hermit
thrush and the wood thrush. The
robin was hunted as a gamebird until
March 1913.
CHATTERING BIRDS
Robins wintering in Virginia have
been living in the protection of wooded
swamps or dense woodlands. Here they
depend heavily on holly berries, which
at this time might be the only wild fruit
available. Wintering robins are duller
all around from their normal plumage.
New migrants from farther south stand
out with cleaner, brighter colors. Their
heads are black, more so on the males,
upper parts gray, underparts a dull
" raw sienna, " with white lower belly
and under tail coverts. The throat is
white with fine black lines and three
36 | Cooperative Living | May 2020
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white spots around the eye
with a yellowish bill. Through
February and March, migrating robins
sweep in on residential areas each
evening as they seek out communal
roosts in cedars, pines, hollies and
other evergreens. They chatter and
squabble for places until darkness
quiets them.
Early colonists
from England
named it the robin
because it had a
reddish-orange
breast.
Usually four robin's-egg-blue
eggs are laid. Many a youngster
owes a first experience with wild
bird's nests, eggs and young to the
Robins have thrived alongside
mankind, using yards, parks and
buildings for nesting, shelter and food.
They bathe regularly in birdbaths,
feed on our lawns and almost seem
semi-domesticated. Nesting cheek
to jowl in our yards, robins'
overlapping territories lead to spats
all summer long. Males fight
aggressively for nesting and feeding
territory. They even attack their own
reflections in windows, mirrors and
shiny hubcaps. They build a nest
platform of twigs and grasses, with
a bowl of mud formed by the
female, turning and twisting
in it on top, with the cup
lined with fine grasses.
robins that nested in their yard.
During this period, they are among
the first birds to break the silence of the
morning with their irregular " cheer up,
cheer up " calls, Various other calls are
heard throughout the day as they rear
their young, including a call described
as " tut-tut-tut " and scolding alarm
calls. When the young first fledge, the
loud " seech-ook " will be heard as it lets
the parent birds know where they are.
Worms and grubs make up a good part
of their diet, which turns to wild fruits
in fall and winter. In September, they
begin staging in groups to migrate.
Some observations reveal
that the northern breeders
may overfly Virginia and go
farther south while local breeders
may be the birds that stay with us
for a time. 
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Cooperative Living May 2020

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