Drinking, bathing, and hunting — migrating robins need water.

Photo: Edwin Mongeni
	Robin in the rain, such a saucy fellow. Robin in the rain, mind your socks of yellow. — Robin in the Rain by Claire Senior Burke, sung by Raffi.

Water is important all year round — on the wintering and breeding grounds — and during migration. Flying is a thirst-making exercise!

Drinking
Migrants traveling in flocks have many eyes searching for water. Puddles, bird baths, little streams, and other water sources are very appealing. Robins seem to prefer places that offer fresh water.

Bathing
Robins also need water to stay clean. They take many short baths rather than one long soak. If the feathers got sopping wet, the robin would have trouble flying. A clean robin is a warm robin. Dirty feathers lose insulation properties. Watching a bird take a cold bath may make you shiver, but there's no need to worry.

Hunting
Rain and snowmelt soften the soil for earthworms to emerge. Watch how robins search in places where snow has recently melted. These are favorite hunting zones during migration as robins transition their diet. When the rain comes at the same time the snow is melting, the worms come to the surface of the saturated ground and the robins have a banquet.

Got Water?
What water sources are your robins finding? Where are they drinking, bathing and hunting where you live?