Cold American Robin Pencil Sketch p45

Like the last post, I got photos of this American Robin in the backyard in the early spring. This poor guy was really unhappy with the snowfall and cold snap that settled in. I put out some mealworms to cheer up an otherwise miserable day for the poor bird.

American Robins are great birds. They are tolerant of human activity and nest on and around our houses. They have a pretty call. These guys really have everything going for them. I think they are just SO common that we take them for granted. Every once in a while I’ll really study them with a pair of binoculars just to soak in how spectacular their colors and patterns are. Males especially can be beautiful and boldly colored.

The Scientific name of the American Robin is Turdus migratorious. The genus Turdus makes up the true thrushes, which is full of beautiful birds and gifted singers. Migratorius described their migratory habit. In a way though this is a little misleading. Many people think that all American Robins disappear from Northern areas in the winter. They are quite surprised to learn that, although many fly south, you can find American Robins in Michigan in the coldest winter months. At that time they gather in groups and eat frozen berries from trees.

American Robins have many interesting behaviors. I think my favorite is one of their foraging strategies. We do a lot of gardening here, regularly adding beds to our gardens, transplanting or propagating plants, and working in the vegetable garden. The robins seem to celebrate every time we pick up a shovel. It is like ringing a dinner bell. After we turn over any dirt, the robins immediately zoom over and start looking for worms and grubs to eat. Last year I had several big digging projects. I ran our downspouts underground far away from the house and buried a conduit for the hose to go all the way to the back garden. This meant foot-wide trenches that went over 150 feet total. The  robins went bananas. After digging I’d put the shovel in the garage, take off my boots and they’d already be hunting away. They certainly enjoyed my hard work.