Robin Migration News: May 11, 2016
By Rita Welch

From Florida to Alaska and California to Canada, robins are home and busy raising the next generation.


Baby robins grow fast. In just two weeks, they are the size of their parents.


Home Sweet Home

Robins have reached the end of the migration trail. Thank you, citizen scientists! Your observations helped us track their journey north. In just over three months, robins have:

  • expanded across the North American continent up to Alaska.
  • changed their behavior from social flocking to territorial nesting.
  • moved from nomadic winter wandering to summer nesting in a localized territory.
  • changed their diet from winter berries to worms and insects.


Raising Babies

Nesting season is a busy time for robins. Always on duty, robin parents work as a team. The dependent nestlings need mom and dad to feed, shelter and protect them. When nestlings fledge, both parents continue to bring them food until mom starts building a new nest for the next clutch of eggs. Dad teaches the fledglings to forage for food, recognize dangers, and roost in trees with other robins. The fledglings also learn from other robins when dad leaves to help with new nestlings.


Baby robins are ready to leave the nest when they are about 13 days old.


Help: Nests, Eggs, and Babies

Each year people write to ask questions about nest, egg, and baby concerns. Laura Erickson provides helpful answers:

 
Explore: Telling the Story

Observations from citizen scientists tell the story of robin migration. Plan a creative way to summarize and share this season's story. Revisit news updates to collect words, quotes, and photos for your project:

 
Evaluation: Share your thoughts!

Please take a few minutes to complete our Annual Evaluation. With your help, we can document Journey North's reach, impact and value. Thank you!

Report Your Sightings
 
Robin Migration: What to Report Robin Migration Map: First Robin Robin Migration Map: Waves of Robins
What to Report First Seen
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Waves
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Robin migration map: First robins heard singing Robin Nesting Behavior Earthworm migration map
Singing
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Nesting
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Earthworms
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