Where To?

It sounds like spring in the north! SONG reports are the top sightings category this week with 70 percent of the reports from Canada and 20 percent from Minnesota. The average latitude jumped to 47.97 compared to 41.34 a week ago. Last week's average song latitude became this week's average nesting latitude!

• "I have reported the first sighting, first singing, first flock/wave, and now I am watching them nest."
  Weatherford, OK (April 8)

Singing is Serious
Their joyful songs are serious business to robins. A male sings to attract a mate as well as to stake his claim in the territory he chose for raising his babies. He sings to warn away other birds that invade the territory. Females often select mates based on the size and quality of a male's territory, because territory size and quality affects the survival of the babies.

What to Watch For
Watch for robins carrying nesting materials, building nests and laying eggs that will hatch 30 days later.

Pay attention to where robins are building their nests so that you can discourage them if the nest will be in your way over the next few weeks. They can relocate.

Some robins will build 20 or even 30 nests over their lifetimes. Instinct tells them how to build the perfect structure for a terrific cradle. Try it!

• Build a Robin's Nest