Eco-Helpers
Robins, like other thrushes, are ecologically important. Plants rely on the birds to eat their fruit and "plant" them here and there by pooping out the seeds. When habitats are damaged, robins and other thrushes can help the land recover by planting fresh seeds. (Of course, robins can be responsible for spreading non-native plants too, not knowing that some, such as buckthorn, were brought here from Europe by citizens who didn't know the plant would become an invasive, fast-spreading pest.) Thrushes also help plants adjust to climate change by spreading many species beyond their normal range. As the climate changes, many of these "pioneer" plants can now survive where they never could before. Thrushes that migrate long distances, pooping all the way, help knit together the ecosystem. Thanks, robins!
Photo: Randy Indish