Wildlife Journal Junior New Hampshire Public Television Knowledge Network

  Main      Wild Files      N.H. Animals      Animals A-Z      Episodes     KN Home      NHPTV Home

American Robin - Turdus migratorius

american robin
series details
 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Aves
 Order: Passeriformes
 Family: Turdidae
 Genus: Turdus
  Description
American RobinThe American robin is 8-11 inches in length and has a wingspan of 12-16 inches. The male American robin has a dark gray or brown back and wing feathers and reddish-orange breast feathers. The female has the same color pattern, but she is a little duller in color.
  Range
The American robin is found in all of the United States and Canada, except for Hawaii and the northern most parts of Alaska and Canada. It is also found in parts of Mexico and Central America. The American robin is migratory and populations move south in the winter, although some populations stay in place.
  Habitat
The American robin lives in open woodlands, fields, gardens, and yards.
  Diet
American RobinThe American robin eats a wide variety of foods including fruits and berries, worms, grubs, and caterpillars. In winter, its diet is made up largely of berries. It is often seen on lawns in the morning looking for earthworms.
  Life Cycle
American RobinRobins mate in the spring from April through July. A female may have two or three broods a season. The female builds a cup-shaped nest with twigs, grass, and feathers. She spreads mud on the inside of the nest with her breast. After she lines the nest with mud, she adds grass and other soft materials. Sometimes the male helps collect materials for the nest.

American RobinThe nest is built five to fifteen feet above the ground in a tree or bush. Sometimes a robin builds its nest on a window ledge. The female lays three to five light blue eggs. The female incubates the eggs for about two weeks.
  Behavior
American RobinThe male robin uses its voice to protect its territory and to attract a mate. It is often one of the first birds heard in the spring!
Privacy | Pressroom

New Hampshire Public Television
268 Mast Road, Durham, NH 03824. 603-868-1100 Fax 603-868-7552
Contact NHPTV
©2009 All rights reserved