American robin

Robins hunt earthworms on lawns by sight, tilting their heads to look. In winter they form large flocks that roam in search of berries.

American robins are one of the most familiar birds in North America. They eat many insects and earthworms and spread seeds of berry-bearing plants. Their dependence on lawns also makes them vulnerable to lawn pesticides.

Nest — A cup of grass and mud in a tree or on a ledge
Eggs — Usually three to five, sky blue
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Leaving the nest — At about 13 days, before they fly well
After leaving — Fed by the father on the ground for up to two weeks
Lifespan — Many live only a year or two; wild birds over thirteen years are recorded

• Young robins on the ground with short tails are fledglings; their parents are nearby and feed them.
• Lawn pesticides can poison robins that eat contaminated earthworms.
• Robins fighting windows are defending territory against their reflection; covering the outside of the window stops it.

• Touching a baby bird makes its parents reject it. Birds do not abandon young because of human scent.
• A robin on the ground that cannot fly has fallen from the nest. It is probably a fledgling, which is normal.
• Robins leave for winter. Many stay, and northern robins join them.

• Eastern bluebird
• Wood thrush
• Hermit thrush