The American Robin-Migrating into Spring

The American Robin

         Migrating into Spring

 

 

Maybe it's just me, but it seems our Robin showing up in our area comes earlier each year. I know our climate has shifted as we are now zone 7b and no longer 7a, and Virginia Beach is now zone 8. We are not much different from central Georgia now. 
All I know at least 2 weeks ago before our first snow I started seeing the male Robins migrating into the Richmond and surrounding areas on my travels. It hardly seems worth their trouble to leave the area any more, and some continue to live here year round. I thought it would be interesting to go online and see other sitings and my gosh they were in Wisconsin in early January too. I'm sure we have a higher count giving the weather differences.

 

Robins are a migratory species, but their migration is far more complicated than simply a shift southward. There seems to be a great deal of individual variation in where they spend the winter, though males are far more likely to remain in the north than females. This is due to our  spring, when the male’s main job is to find and defend a territory. The females’ main job is to create and lay the eggs. This requires a lot of good nutrition and food energy, so females go where they are sure of good food supplies in winter. Yes, they have to use up food energy to migrate north. But migrating and laying eggs are easier for well-nourished birds.

Robins and the Seasons The Annual Cycle of the American Robin
Image: Robin GreenJanuary	Image: B. GrossFebruary	Image: Diane SicklesMarch
Image: Wayne KrydubaApril	Image: Dorothy EdgingtonMay	Image: Vickie KingJune
Image: Randy IndishJuly	Image: Laura EricksonAugust	Image: Laura EricksonSeptember
Image: Don SeversonOctober	Image:Anne CookNovember	Image:William HieberDecember

Food is very important for the Robins as they begin to move back into our area. During the late fall into winter they switch their diet from worms to fruits and berries. Offering a Robin food is not the easy bird feeder route, they simply are not attracted to seeds, even with fruit mixed in. Here are a few ways to offer up a meal:

• One of the best kinds of food for wintering robins—and the easiest for them to discover—is meal worms. You can put out a dozen meal worms on a sunny day when the temperature is above freezing, and nearby robins will often notice their wiggly movements and investigate. Once robins discover the meal worms, they'll come back even when the temperature is below freezing and the meal worms are stiff.
• Then try offering fruit in the same spot, the robins are more likely to notice it. Some favorite robin foods are blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. You might as well buy bags of frozen fruit for them, since it will freeze outside anyway!

• Duncraft.com offers a neat blend of both fruit and meal worms and did I mention this is also great for bluebirds!

Water is also important for the flocks as they travel, Drinking fresh water is important for robins all year round. Flying is thirst-making exercise! Robins travel in large flocks during winter because it's helpful to have many eyes searching for food and water. So your more likely to see these birds in yards or parks that have streams, ponds or heated birdbaths that can supply a fresh water supply.

I know I could keep on for several more pages on Robin factoids, but for me the Robin is a breath of spring soon to be coming. I love to watch their playful nature, listen to the  males chatter out in the garden as they stake out their territories.

 

So watch for the American Robin and think Spring!

 

For more robin info, check out-Keeping Up with the American Robin