Robin

Not the European robin

The American robin and the European robin are unrelated despite sharing a name. The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small flycatcher in the family Muscicapidae. American settlers used the familiar name for a New World thrush with a similar orange breast, and the label stuck.

The American robin is closely related to European blackbirds and song thrushes. It’s a true thrush (Turdidae) — the orange-breasted member of a family that includes the bluebirds, fieldfare, and wood thrush.

Worm-finding

A robin tilting its head sideways at the lawn is famously listening for earthworms — at least, that’s the popular belief. Research suggests they’re using vision more than hearing: the head-tilt orients one eye downward at the grass to spot the small movements of an earthworm parting the surface. Robins do also use hearing, but visual cues dominate.

Migration that isn’t quite migration

Robins are partial migrants. Some populations winter where they breed (especially urban populations with access to fruit trees and berries year-round); others travel south by hundreds or thousands of kilometers. Northern populations migrate further than southern ones; even within the same town, individuals make different choices.

The popular “first robin of spring” association is a quirk of partial migration — many robins were there all winter, but they switched from foraging on fruit (in flocks, often hidden in trees) to lawn worming (in pairs, conspicuous) as the ground thawed.

Blue eggs

Robin eggs are the famous “robin’s egg blue” — a specific pale-greenish blue that’s named in paint catalogs and crayon sets. The color comes from biliverdin, a pigment in the female’s blood that’s deposited on the eggshell. Heavier biliverdin saturation may signal female health to the male, who provides more food to clutches with more vivid eggs.

A continental superstar

By population, the American robin may be the most numerous land bird in North America — estimates suggest 370 million individuals. They thrive in suburban and agricultural environments where lawn-and-tree habitats meet. Backyard bird counts consistently put robins at or near the top of “most-observed species” lists.

A toxin tolerance

In late summer and fall, robins flock to fermenting fruit and can become noticeably drunk on the alcohol — staggering, falling out of trees, hitting windows. The behavior is well-documented; robins are among the most fermented-fruit-tolerant birds, but enough fermented honeysuckle, hawthorn, or holly berries will overwhelm even them.