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American Robin Migration Update: February 27, 2001

Today's Report Includes:

Restless Robins Ready for Migration
March is the month robins will make their big push northward. They're about to travel in great numbers from their wintering grounds in the U.S. across the border, and on into Canada. We heard from over 100 observers during the last week. These three maps show the progress so far:

(For data, click on caption.)

First Robins
Seen

Waves
of Robins

First Robins Heard Singing

Patterns of Change: Robins Singing and Tulips Emerging
We were struck this week to see how similar two maps were: We noticed that tulips are emerging and robins are singing in the same places. A typical temperature map of North America also shows a similar pattern. Look carefully at the three maps below.

First Robins Singing

Tulips Emerging

February Temperature Map

Challenge Question #3:
"What is it about the geography of North America that you think causes this pattern? In your answer, describe where robins are singing and tulips are emerging this week. Why do you think this is so?"

(To answer this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Try This! Which Comes First?
Do you think you'll see your first tulip or hear your first robin first? Look and listen--then let us know!

Low-Flying Flock: Challenge Question #4
Journey North observers looking for waves of robins have their eyes on the skies! Unlike most songbirds, American robins can migrate during daytime or at night. Picture this huge flock, seen in Wellington, Florida on February 12 at about 5:30 p.m.:

"For about one hour we saw thousands and thousands of robins flying straight north. Some came down to drink in our canal and stayed for a minute before continuing their flight. They were flying above and between the pines, some flying as low as 20-25 feet. At one moment the sky looked darker because of the enormous amount of robins." (enewbery@bellsouth.net)

That gives us something to think about! Our Journey North robin expert points out: "Some daytime migrants fly much lower than nocturnal migrants, but migrants such as hawks and eagles sometimes fly so high they look like pepper specks in the sky." All this makes us wonder about the connections between flying high or low, night or day. What do you think?

Challenge Question #4:
"What are some reasons why robins might fly at a different altitude than hawks? What are some reasons why nocturnal migrants might fly higher than day migrants?"

(To answer this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Waves and Weather: Something to Watch
Like the observers in Wellington (above), you might see NO robins one day but LOTS of them the next. This is what we mean by waves. Stefan Woltmann of Hattiesburg, MS points out what he's noticed about waves:

"During the winter, American Robins are often part of very large flocks. Many songbird species also migrate in loose flocks. There may be no robins in your area one day, and thousands the next morning. If these birds are passing through they may stay for a day or two or more, but then move on, more or less together. And then another group may arrive."

But wait--there's still more to know about waves! Weather needs to be part of the definition. Our robin expert Laura Erickson adds more facts about waves:

"Wave" is a term used by ornithologists to refer to a large movement of birds, usually due to a weather condition. Gill's ORNITHOLOGY (a standard college textbook) says: "Daily weather conditions, in particular, favorable winds, also influence departure times. In spring, major northward movements in the United States coincide with a depression (lowering of barometric pressure) toward the southwest, followed by a strong flow of warm southern winds from the Gulf of Mexico toward the northeast. The sizes of migration waves relate directly to the intensity of the depression and strength of the favorable winds."

This is why Laura says that suddenly seeing a bunch of robins one morning when there was no evidence of them the day before isn't really a wave in and of itself, but is evidence that a wave did pass. She adds, "Waves of migration are observable at night using radar, and at day only at big migration lookouts (Duluth's Hawk Ridge in fall, for example). I've seen over 60,000 robins fly by in a single day along Lake Superior. This is a wave. The huge flight of robins seen over Wellington, Florida, was also a wave!"

Which way is the wind blowing when you see waves of robins? Tell us when you send your new sightings!

Feeding and Foraging: Challenge Question #5
Foraging means hunting around for food. Last time we saw that, in many areas, wintering robins feed mainly on dried up fruits and berries. See what observers shared recently:

In Sugar Land, Texas, flock sizes are increasing. There the robins are "always seen along bayous and school grounds. They seem to prefer mowed grass in this area. Feeding behavior suggests foraging for worms or grubs. I do not recall in the past 10 years seeing so many, so hungry, and for this much time in the Gulf Coast region of Texas." (nbrown@it.katy.isd.tenet.edu)

The next day, February 14, from Middleway, West Virginia, we heard about "hundreds of robins on the ground in farm fields. These were bare fields where crops had been harvested in fall; some were cornfields with old corn stubble. Some were pastures." (clstuart@intrepid.net)

Challenge Question #5:
"Why might worms be available earlier in a bare corn field than on a lawn?"

(To answer this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Seeing Isn't Always Believing: Challenge Question #6
Several students in Hudson, Massachusetts sighted their first robin on February 10. One student actually had 3 in the backyard! "The students are worried about them as the ground is still covered with snow and still frozen. We haven't seen any worms. We thought it would be good to continue putting birdseed out for them. (ptemple@hudson.k12.ma.us)

People often say they see robins feeding in the birdseed. But the mysterious thing is that robins don't eat birdseed! (They can't digest them.) Sometimes seeing isn't believing. If you look really closely at robins at a seed feeder, you see they aren't eating seeds. So what do you suppose they're doing?

Challenge Question #6:
"What are robins probably looking for when they come to birdfeeders?"

(To answer this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Birds of a Feather Flock Together. . . But Not Too Close!
From Wichita, Kansas, we heard about "5 robins sitting evenly spaced around the bottom of my brass fountain. The temperature was 14degrees F." (donlinmallonee@sprintmail.com)

Sometimes birds want their own space! You might have noticed that animals--from cows in a pasture to birds on a wire--maintain space around each other. People do it too. We call it personal space, and scientists call it individual distance. Think how you feel when someone "gets in your face." It's uncomfortable when someone is talking with you, nose-to-nose! How much personal space do YOU need?

Try This!
  1. Get with a partner and stand six feet apart. Take tiny steps towards each other until you no longer feel comfortable getting closer. Now measure your the distance apart. As a class, figure out the average "personal space" for kids in your class.

  2. Watch robins --around feeders and birdbaths, on wires or on ground--and look for their individual distance.

Clues in the Photo: Discussion of Challenge Question #1
Photo courtesy Anne Cook
Last time we asked: "Why does this robin look bigger and fluffier than a summer robin? Is it a male or a female? Why is the pupil of the eye so small on this day? What color is the iris?"

These students were RIGHT ON! Way to go!
  • Mrs. Bastlle's third grade class, J. R. Briggs School, Ashburnham, MA
  • Peg Nelson's 6th grade class at Madelia (MN) Elementar
  • Mrs. Grabianowski's class at Madelia (MN) Elementary
  • Noel, Vincent, Clivley and Brian, 7th graders from Iselin (NJ) Middle School
  • Mahak, Louis, Melissa and Joe, 7th graders from Iselin (NJ) Middle School
  • Mrs. Nunnally's 2nd grade Class, Peter Woodbury School in Bedford, NH
  • Jeremy H.

They thought the robin looks bigger and fluffier partly because it actually has more down feathers than it does in the summer, and partly because it has those down feathers fluffed out for better insulation. This is a male robin; you can tell by the bright color of his breast feathers, the black head feathers, pronounced eye ring, and dark gray back feathers. The pupils are so small to minimize brightness on a sunny day. It's a little hard to tell, but the iris of a robin's eye is gray.

Feeding, Flocking, Flying: Discussion of Challenge Question #2
"What are some advantages robins gain by flocking together?"

Hooray for Laura Grimm's 5th grade class at Kidron (Ohio) Elementary School. They thought of lots of advantages:
  • There is heat in numbers.
  • Many eyes are more likely to find food and avoid predators.
  • A large flock of birds is not camouflaged well - so bigger is better.
  • And last but certainly not least - they find companionship during the long winter months.

"Bigger is better" because there are more bodies to distract predators. Laura Erickson, our robin expert, thought of two more advantages: "Since they aren't defending a territory while they're flocking, they save energy. Robins eat fruits that sometimes ferment or get spoiled, and seeing some robins get sick may sometimes warn others to stop eating from a particular tree."

How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:

IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-robin@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #3 (or #4 or #5 or #6).
3. In the body of each message, answer ONE of the questions above.

Please Report the First Robin you SEE, the first robin you HEAR singing, and other interesting robin observations. Your reports will be incorporated into these Robin Migration Updates.

The Next Robin Migration Update Will be Posted on March 6, 2001.

Copyright 2001 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form

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