This is the next in a series designed to help readers identify the different wildlife and foliage they may have in their backyard. Birds are the first that we plan to identify, but if there are specific creatures or plants you would like to learn more about, please send us an email.
Another very popular bird found in area backyards is the American robin, known as a symbol of spring in Delaware. Their familiar hop across the yard, stopping with a head turned to listen for earthworms, is well known.
The scientific name for the American robin is Turdus migratorius. Their habitat is yards, fields, forests and city parks.
Male robins have a rich red-orange breast, black head and white markings around the eye, making them almost look as if they have gray hair at the temples. Females have a less vibrant orange breast and duller feathers. The bird has a pot-bellied look and an upright stance as it searches for food. They also have a yellow bill and white chin. Juvenile birds have spotted breasts, which sometimes is confused with the male Eastern Towhee.
Robins forage mostly on the ground, rarely visiting feeders unless the feeder contains live mealworms. When you see them cock their heads, they are listening for prey. A robin can hear the movement of earthworms underground, tilting their heads to locate them by vibration and sound, not just by sight. In the winter, when worms and bugs are less plentiful, they switch to berries and fruits. Their distinctive run-stop rhythm makes them easy to identify.
If there is a pile of leaf litter nearby, a robin will poke into it, flipping leaves out of the way to search for insects. In winter and migration, they often travel in large flocks. However, most robins in Delaware remain in the same area year-round.
A robin can reach between 9 and 11 inches tall and weighs about three ounces. Their lifespan is between two and six years. Predators are hawks, snakes, cats and crows.
The birds have a melodious, flute-like song that can often be heard before sunrise and persists well into the evening. The robin song is cheerful and bubbly, composed of phrases with short pauses. Often, the sound is a “cheerily-cheer up-cheerio” sound. Calls sound like a mellow “pup” or a doubled or trebled “chok” or “tut.”
Creating nests from mud and grass, they robin builds a home that is cup-shaped and found on tree limbs, ledges or human-made structures. The nest is usually found 5 to 15 feet above the ground and is untidy. Robins are not shy about nesting around homes which helps protect the next from predators. Nests can be found in porch recesses and even windowsills. A nesting platform added to a sheltered location will attract them.
A female lays between three and five blue eggs, usually two or three times per season. The female incubates the eggs for 12-14 days and the fledgling leaves the next after around 14 to 16 days.
Robins are very widespread and highly adaptable, thriving in rural as well as urban landscapes. To encourage robins, avoid insecticides and use organic fertilizers. Fruiting trees, shrubs and vines will encourage flocks to linger in the winter. Robins particularly like holly, sumac, crabapple and pyracantha.
Next is the mourning dove.
