Robin

The Robin is a nearly-constant visitor to our garden.

Latin name: Turdus migratorius

Length, wingspan: 10″, 17″

What they eat: Insects, berries and especially earthworms!

Plants that attract: Seen on lawns and in other open areas.

Where they nest: Dense trees and shrubs, sometimes on trellises and porch roofs.

My observations: One of the most common birds seen in a garden, the Robin is fun to watch especially when hunting earthworms in a lawn. They have a cheery song that greets and ends the day, usually delivered from the top of a pine tree in our yard. If you get near their nests, or otherwise make them unhappy, be prepared to be on the receiving end of a sharp scolding. They look so blissful when bathing, but other birds and anything else nearby will get drenched by all the flying water! The males have bright reddish-orange breasts while females are more drab, and the young have black-and-cream speckled breasts. While all are pleasant to watch, protect your cherries, blueberries and strawberries from hungry marauders. Robins migrate south for the winter.

Watch this video to listen to a robin greeting the day:

This video shows a robin bathing:

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