American Robin

The American robin is a cheerful bird with a warm orange chest and a dark grey back. You can spot one hopping across a lawn, pausing, then hopping again as it searches for a snack. Robins live all across North America, in woodlands, gardens, parks, and orchards, and they are one of the best-loved birds on the whole continent.

In fact, there are more American robins than almost any other land bird in North America, with roughly 370 million of them. Many robins are travellers, flying south when the weather turns cold and returning north again as spring arrives. That is how they earned their scientific name, which means “wandering thrush”.

For many people, seeing the first robin of the year is a happy sign that spring is on its way. Robins are also famous early risers. They are among the very first birds to begin singing at dawn, filling the morning air with their bright, cheery carol long before most other birds wake up.

Robins are omnivores who eat both meaty and fruity foods. About half of their meals are earthworms and insects like beetle grubs and caterpillars, and the other half are fruits and berries. A hungry robin finds worms partly by looking, tilting its head to watch for a wriggle in the grass, then pouncing to tug one out.

American robins have done very well living near people, and scientists list them as Least Concern, with a steady population. They feel right at home on garden lawns and in leafy suburbs across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which is why so many families get to enjoy watching these friendly orange-breasted birds all year round.