As winter wears on, the passing of Groundhog Day has many people thinking about the arrival of spring. Even skeptics can’t be faulted for dreading Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow, but I’ve been watching for a different omen. I’ve been awaiting the arrival of the American robin, a traditional harbinger of spring in the United States.
But there’s a hitch. Recently, while gazing out my apartment window, I saw not just one robin but a flock of thirty or more visiting my neighborhood trees. Weirder still, these robins weren’t eating their standard springtime worms, they were noshing on late fruiting berries. Spring has certainly not arrived, so why have the robins?
To learn more about this behavior, I spoke to Elizabeth Howard, Founder and Director of Journey North. Journey North’s American Robin project is tracking robin movements across North America. She pointed out that robins, though they are considered migratory, don’t follow the typical north to south and back migration pattern we tend to associate with other migratory birds.
Robins in Winter
“Robins can withstand very cold temperatures,” Howard explains. “In most places you can see robins in the wintertime. You’ll see them wandering around and yet it’s not considered migration because basically they’re moving in a nomadic way, following the food.”
Many robins, especially those that remain in the northern states and southern Canada, change their diets in winter. Since worms and insects aren’t available, they search out trees that still have fruit.
“In the wintertime robins are actually social,” Howard says. “They form flocks — all those eyes and ears are good for watching out for predators. And one of the beauties of flocking is that if one of them finds some food, it can call the rest.”
Even in freezing temperatures, robins can stay warm enough to make staying through the winter worthwhile. Those who remain near their mating grounds will get first dibs on the best nesting territories when spring arrives.
“Sometimes you see them and it’s so cold you think, ‘My goodness they’ll all die.’” Howard says. “It’s amazing, the way they survive winter is they fluff their feathers and get really big. Their internal temperature is 104° F and yet they can be in areas below freezing. That’s how well their feathers insulate them; there can even be a 100-degree difference just through those layers of feathers.”
If you want to observe robins in winter, try putting out water for them. They can survive on their own by eating snow, but birds always welcome a source of unfrozen water for drinking and bathing.
The First Robin of Spring
Robins haven’t been entirely dethroned from their poetic status as spring symbol. Though notions of spring vary by region and temperature. Some robin behaviors take place in step with the warming temperatures that people associate with the arrival of spring.
For instance, as temperatures warm in springtime, the bulk of the robin population follows a more reliable northward spring migration pattern.
“In the spring they migrate with a 36-degree isotherm,” Howard explains. “The ground thaws and that’s when traditional earthworms and some other insect larvae are available. That’s when you see big movements.”
More than anything, the robin’s song remains a reliable indicator that the first wave of spring migration has reached you. This song is one of the first signs that robins are switching from winter behavior to courtship and nesting behavior associated with spring.
“We see a clear south to north progression in reports of territorial song,” Howard notes. “Across the continent, as males arrive on territory they begin to sing. That true robin song that you hear nonstop all day or certainly through the morning means your local male has arrived.”
Males arrive first to establish their territories – they will fight with their feet to defend them. In spring the males become so territorial that they’ve been known to beat themselves up while trying to fight their own reflection.
“Females arrive a couple of weeks later,” Howard says. “They’re not in a rush. Their job is to have fat stores as plentiful as possible. They don’t want to burn through calories by migrating too early. They need to be in good condition.”
Arriving too early can be bad for reproduction too. A spring freeze can damage the integrity of the nest.
Only the females have a brood patch, an area of warm featherless skin that’s used to transfer body heat to the eggs. Females spend about 50 minutes of every hour on the nest during incubation. It’s two weeks from egg laying to hatching and robins will start a new nest within the month. Robins nest as many as four times each summer, depending on how far north they are.
As in winter, water is one of the best ways to attract robins to your yard in spring.
“If you turn on a sprinkler you’ll have robins within minutes,” Howard says. “It makes the soil soft and earthworms and other food easy to collect.”
Report Your Robin Observations
You can report robin observations to Journey North all year round. As spring approaches, Journey North has a checklist of robin life cycle events to track and report:
- Over-wintering robins – watch for flocks.
- First male robin – you will know it is a male by his bold red breast and his dark head and back.
- First wave of robins – three or more robins together (but not in the winter) is a sign that migration is peaking.
- Average temperature reaches 36° F – help Journey North find out whether or not this is truly when robins sing.
- First earthworm – help Journey North find out if robin arrival is tied to earthworm availability.
- First robin song – listen for the robin’s true song.
- First female robin – she will look washed out compared to the male.
- First males in battle – they will be fighting over territories.
- Nest building begins – watch for males with a mouthful of nest materials or females with muddy breasts.
- Incubation underway – if you’re not seeing the female around anymore, she’s probably busy incubating.
- Young hatch – watch for adults flying with worms.
- First young fledge – fledglings don’t fly and have a spotted breast. You might see them on the ground or in low branches.
- First young take wing – within a few days of fledging watch for the juveniles to start their practice flights.
- Parents start another nest – when you see the male feeding the fledglings, but the female is absent, she has likely disappeared to incubate a new set of eggs.
“One of the great things about robins is they’re so accessible,” Howard says. “You can look out your window and see them. There’s so much to learn about such an unsung hero.”
Have you noticed unusual robin behavior in your neighborhood or? Share it in the comments and report your sightings to Journey North.
have you seen lots of robins it’s been so cold here in Texas about 25 miles south of Fort Worth. On Wednesday a huge flock of robins coming to the yard I would say there was probably over 100 red breasted robins. They were here for quite a while roasted in the trees I noticed that they went to the bathroom all over the fence it was all black look like black tar head hit the fence and my dogs food bowl was bombarded. They’re still here I see them forging around and there was a lot of snow it was very cold I thought why are they here it’s so cold because we had light below zero freezing temperatures for for five days. I just learned thatThe Robin can survive in really really cold! i’ll have to clean up my fence I hope it warms up and melts all the snow and ice and that our winter cabin fever is gone. This storm affected a lot of people in Texas no power no food no water I hope that the next time we have such an event our state is better prepared and our infrastructure is sound if our legislators in our governor will make sure then the next timeWe get a bad winter storm it’ll be a lot easier on us I pray. No just as the red Robin is the survivor so are we! We will continue to fight for freedom and each other even in the midst of the storm the anchor holds, In spite of the storm the red red Robin goes Bob Bob Bob in a long. Only a creator like God can all all his creation with his Genius and Beauty amen
With the big ice and snow storm in Texas this week, we’ve had a multiple instances of robins feeding!
On Tuesday February 16, 2021 we had about 50 or more of these Robins in our yard on or trees and found our Bushes full of berries and they were swarming them in front and ate every last one. Many of them in the ground and in trees and sitting on our back fence. Where the snow had melted some were pecking the ground in search of other food and some just eating the snow off our sidewalk in back. We took several photos of them as we watched.
Renee’ James-Gilbert
Fort Worth, Texas 76118
We’ve just experienced unusually cold weather (as low as -1* ) just North of Dallas in Allen, Texas and for a couple of days had hundreds of Robins in a wooded area by our home. Have never seen them so early and in this weather,…your article addressed that…thank you!
I live in Arlington TX and I have seen flocking red breast in my holly bushes. It was such a beautiful site. They have just about eaten all the red fruit berries off the bushes. GOD MAKES ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL .
Last week there were probably 30-50 robins in my yard, I saw them a few days but haven’t seen any this week. I live on Cape Cod, MA. My daughter told me today she saw a bunch in her yard today, she lives in RI. I do see Cardinals all the time.
I’m in central Texas , Smithville to be exact. The date is February the 19th and fir the last two weeks I’ve been seeing Robin’s for the first time in 30 plus years. At first I wasn’t sure, then it was more the one at a time. Today I’m 12 miles in Bastrop, Texas and we’ve been seeing Robin’s around here as well. For the longest time I’ve been under the impression that the fire ants killed the all off. They are indeed here and it’s extremely nice to see them again.
I have lived in Forney, TX for going on 15 years and for the first time we have had huge numbers of robins in our trees, along our fences and in both our front and back yards. They are all over our neighborhood in great numbers. It was surprising because we just had an unprecedented long period of temperatures below freezing and more snow lasting longer than just a day or two. It was nice to see the birds and I am glad to know they can survive these weather conditions. Thank you for the information on these beautiful birds.
I feed insectivores in my backyard year round. Right now, with the arctic blast encompassing the southwest, my offering of live mealworms are the difference between survival or not. (Writing this on the 10th day of sub freezing temps 24/7 in Tulsa, OK) I observed the arrival of a robin shortly into the 10 day freeze. That robin was dominant, of course, and would back off when other birds arrived. In fact all of the birds, regardless of species, would eat and then head to the edge of my yard where I have oaks and deep thick bushes. But for about 7 days now, and increasingly, the robin will just camp out on or next to the warming plate of mealworms. He will literally attack bluebirds brave enough to try to fly down and grab a bite. He fends off the phoebes, but doesn’t fly after them or the wrens like he does the blues. And now? A second robin has arrived. I must admit to shooing them off, or even using my home fashioned/not very well working pea shooter at them. I don’t want them to starve, I only want them to back off and allow the others a bite of food. The behavior is very distressing to me.
I observed a flock of robins that came into our yard during our really cold weather here in north TX. Swarmed around some our holly bushes. Never seen robins in mass, and really can’t recall seeing any during the rest of the year. I’m sure they are here, but I don’t see them. Is there a particular way to draw robins in yard? We have not put out any bird food in years. We have feral cats that live in our yar d (I captured and neutered them, so they stayed) and felt when we put our food that we were luring birds to their death. Our last cat is aging now, and we will once again feed the birds. Love to see robins and cardinals. Those were the most common birds of my childhood and my grandmother’s favorite. So, they are special to me. Thanks for posting this piece. Brought me joy this morning.
I live in Kittery, Maine and for the first time ever have a flock of Robins in my yard, most likely due to the unfrozen water I have provided this year. This piece has answered all the questions I had when I first saw them since I only ever see solitary Robins, so thank you for writing it. It was a sight to behold, twelve Robins in and on the edges of my bird bath and countless others in the bushes around it and on the ground, waiting for their turn. Just beautiful.
Yesterday a large flock of robins (about 25 or more) swarmed my heated bird bath in mid-Michigan. This with 14” of snow from the previous day. They stayed for about an hour.
Yes we live in Benton Arkansas and just noticed a very large amount of Robins flying around late in the afternoon next door to a friend that lives on my street. I mean there were tons of them! We were surprised and also enjoyed the show they put on !
This past freezing week (Feb 15- Feb. 19, 2021) I have had a flock of Robins all over my back yard in Tulsa, OK. I’ve counted at least 30, but there may have been more. They’ve been eating the holly berries and seem to be digging around in the garden next to my house. They have made a huge mess of leaves and their droppings on my back patio, but have been fun to watch.
Hundreds of robins reported all across Arlington, Texas. Many, many Facebook posts. I saw them out our window tues feb 16, flying east, in trees, wave after wave in the air. Then yesterday Wednesday same phenomenon but they were flying west . We’ve been in the middle of extreme cold and snow.