March 8, 2014 / Leslie

Weekend Birding: American Robin – A Harbinger of Spring?

American Robin, Birds, Photography, Photos, Spring

Is it Spring Yet?

Does the first sighting of a robin in the northern states mean spring is here? Maybe, but maybe not.

In the autumn robins typically gather into flocks and vanish from the backyards. Northerners assume they migrate south to warmer climates and move back in the spring, but in recent decades their behavior has changed.

Don’t Robins Migrate?

Robins from the northernmost parts of the US and Canada do move south. Forty years ago it was rare to see a robin during the winter in Illinois, but in the past few decades sightings have become more common. Robins have been routinely observed during the Audubon Christmas bird counts and I often see them in groups when out walking on the nature trails.

What has changed?

Birds don’t migrate because of the cold, they leave when food supplies are scarce. Migration is risky, and if birds can avoid making a long trip into unfamiliar territory, they will stay local or move short distances. The short answer to what has changed for the robin is the availability of food.

In the summer robins eat insects and worms, in the winter they eat berries. The explosion of buckthorn, honeysuckle and other invasive fruit bearing shrubs has allowed more birds to remain in northern climates than ever before.

We don’t know if the robins we see in the winter are the same ones that were here during the summer. They could be flocks from Minnesota or Canada, and my Illinois robins may have gone to Missouri. Then again, they may be the same robins that are here in the summer.

This past winter, which was harsh even by Chicago standards, robins would routinely stop by the backyard for berries from my Eastern Cedar Tree and grab a quick drink at the heated bird bath.

Where are we seeing robins this winter?

I generated this map using eBird to show where robins have been observed this winter from December through February. The darker the color, the higher the frequency of sightings. Clicking on the image will take you to the real-time map where you can zoom in for a closer look at the locations.

[eBird generated map of Robin sightings Dec 2013 – Feb 2014.]

eBird is a real-time online checklist program. Birders and citizen scientists enter their observations into the eBird database. Reports and maps can be generated for individual bird species showing their abundance and distribution at a point in time.

So, Is the Robin A Harbinger of Spring?

Depending on where you live, the sight of a robin will still mean spring is near. For me, when I see them scouting my yard in pairs and arguing over nesting territory, spring has arrived. After this winter, that can’t happen soon enough.

Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. It is now hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.