Name: American Robin

Description: The American Robin, the best-known and loved bird in North America, was named for the small Robin from England due to their similar coloring (although the two are not related). The American Robin lives throughout North America but can be found as far north as extreme northern Canada and as far south as Guatemala. In the winter, American Robins gather in roosting communities numbering anywhere from 20 to 250,000 birds.

Other Names: Common Robin, Robin Redbreast

Color: The adult male has a dark-gray back. His head, wings and tail are almost black; his throat black-and-white streaked; his breast reddish-orange; and his bill is yellow and dusky at the tip. The adult female is similar but paler and duller in color. Their young have black-spotted pale breasts, whitish throats and reddish-brown flanks.

Sound: At dawn and dusk in season, the American Robin’s song is an almost continuous outpouring of "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up.” When an American Robin senses danger, the bird will utter a series of short clucking sounds to alert his or her mate or their young.

Preferred Environment: The American Robin lives in woodlands near the edges of forests and in gardens, especially where short-grass areas are interspersed with shrubs and trees.

Nesting Habits: The American Robin may build its nest in trees or bushes (coniferous or deciduous), on or in buildings, or on man-made nesting shelves. Their nests consist of straw, course grass, and twigs and mud, lined with fine grass.

Food Preference: The American Robin feeds on both fruit and invertebrates. Earthworms are especially important food during the breeding season; however, Robins mainly eat fruit during the winter season.