American Robin American Robin
Today's News Report Your Sightings How to Use Journey North Search Journey North

American Robin Migration Update: April 3, 2001

Today's Report Includes:

This Week's Migration Maps and Data
Robins have reached Alaska! Notice where robins are singing and proclaiming territory since our last map. This slow progress northward is no April fooling. An observer from Fairmount, ND sent this weekend report: "A friend of mine just came back from a birding trek to Nebraska to see the Sandhill Cranes. She says that there is a lot of snow at the southern border of North Dakota and that all of our migrants are stuck there--robins, juncos, hawks, geese, etc." That's an example of how cold weather can stop migration!

(For data, click on caption.)

First Robins
Seen

Waves
of Robins

First Robins Heard Singing

Use the data to make your own migration map, or print and analyze our maps.

News From Northern Observation Posts
Returning robins have not appeared at some Northern Observation Posts, or in Anchorage, where Mike Sterling reports: "It's snowing right now, and I'm reduced to driving in to work. Robins might start showing up in a month." Here's the situation:

"It is definitely parka, toque and mitt weather here for a little while. We still have not seen any sign of robins up here and I'm sure it will be some time yet before we do." Cathy Weir, Colonsay School, Colonsay, Saskatchewan, Canada

"Spring is starting to emerge here. We have our entire school community involved in our search for the robin. We haven't had any sightings yet. Sunny but still relatively cold (-4C to +4C) most days. Grass is starting to show so perhaps the robins will be spotted soon." Jill Rogers, Corner Brook, NF

"We get 340 inches a year of snow on an Average. My neighbor said he saw Robins even with all this snow. I thought I heard some but didn't see any." Carol Filcek, Valdez, AK

"We have Canada geese, crows and gulls (always our first three returnees) but no robins yet. I did hear a report of robins in Jasper National Park so they are very close." Margot Hervieux, Grande Prairie, AB

"No robins. Right now it's snowing so hard that we'd have a hard time identifying a bird if it was flying around!" Sara Hepner, Sterling, AK

So. . .this means you still have time to send us your entry for the Early Bird Contest! That was

Challenge Question #13
"When do you think the first robin will be spotted in Anchorage, Alaska (61.22 N, 149.90 W)?"

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

How's A Robin Supposed to Act?
While folks in many places are still waiting for robins, others are already watching their robins. Where robins have returned (and in some of the places they overwintered), people have noted these spring behaviors:
  • males singing
  • robins feeding on the ground rather than in fruit trees
  • a FEW females arriving

During major cold or warm front systems, sometimes the first robins to appear are in migratory flocks and still behaving like winter birds. That means eating berries and crabapples instead of worms. Sometimes when the weather gets really cold, birds on territory have to retreat to their winter behaviors for a few days. Females wait until the weather is more reliable, and so they seldom need to resort to winter behaviors once theyíve arrived on territory. If you're curious about seasonal clues in feeding behaviors, see more here:


Playing Leapfrog
Robins often practice "leapfrog" migration, where the ones going to middle latitudes move north first, and the ones who are going farther north wait until later, passing over the robins already on their territories. That's why even after robins start nesting in some areas, migrating flocks can still be passing over! Robins are common backyard birds throughout most of North America, so you'd think their migration would be easy to understand. But it's actually pretty complicated.

Timing is Everything!
Male robins arrive anywhere from a few days to several weeks before females. Males must eat enough to remain strong and reach the nesting areas early enough to declare and defend the best territories, and to attract females. Females must arrive healthy enough to lay eggs and raise the young of the next generation. Birds who head north too early may find cold weather and poor food supplies. Even a few days delay in nesting can make the difference between life and death; baby birds need enough time to grow and gain strength to fly south in the fall.

The females are a bit paler and drabber in color, but otherwise look quite a bit like the males, so it takes some practice for us to tell them apart. Fortunately, male robins have no trouble recognizing them!

Nesting? Not Yet!
We haven't heard of any robins nesting so far, and we're not surprised! A pair of robins needs several things in their environment before they'll start nesting. Think about what you know and what you've observed. Then send us your answer to:

Challenge Question #16
"What things can you list that a pair of robins needs in their territory before they can start nesting? List as many things as you can."

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

Try This! Robin Watcher's Checklist
Download and print our robin phenology checklist so you know what events to watch for in your backyard or schoolyard. For example, how can you tell when nest building begins? Females may begin nest building within a day or two after arriving. Watch for males and females flying with nest materials and for females with mud on the breast feathers. For your own field checklist of other nifty robin events to watch for, see:

Use the checklist to record this year's events; then SAVE your records. Start with a new checklist next year and then make comparisons.

Tuning in to Robins
Do you think the males sing more when the females arrive? It makes sense, but how would we know for sure?
Try This!
  1. Go outside with a stopwatch at exactly 6:30 or exactly 7 AM and count robin songs for five minutes. Do this each day starting before the females arrive until after the females have been around for about a week.
  2. Graph your results, and mark on your graph the date that the females arrived.
  3. Is there a difference in the male singing before and after their arrival?

NOTE: It would be best to have three or more student volunteers in a class, so the data from each date can be averaged.

Looking and Listening
Students everywhere are looking and listening for robins. Our weekend mail brought some good reports.

"We were so surprised today when we counted 18 robins in the soccer field outside our classroom window. The ground is muddy, but we had snow flurries today. They looked like they were digging for worms, but we didn't see any," wrote students from Buffalo, New York.

Students from Madelia, MN said: "Charles saw 2-3 robins behind his house in a tree. They were singing the whinny song."

Good eyes and ears! Like Charles, students who answered our "Name That Tune" Challenge
Question #15 already know what a robin means when they hear it calling. Next step? Get ready to know YOUR robins.

Try This!
How much do robin songs and calls vary at different times of day? Do vocalizations vary among individuals? Do you hear differences between males and females? Can you succeed in hearing a robin react to a predator or other danger? You'll find a review of the 5 vocalizations, a handy field observation log sheet, and more directions for your research here:


Same Robin, Same Territory?
One of our observers asks the question everyone wonders: "Will a single Robin return to the same territory each year? Is it possible I am seeing the same Robin return to the same nest each year? It certainly looks the same!" So what's the answer?
There isn't a lot of variation in robin plumage, so without a band or other marking there is no way of being 100% certain that your returning robin is the same, but it sure is likely! Robins show an enormous amount of "site fidelity" compared to most birds. In one 1973 study on Vancouver Island, 14 robins were banded, and 10 returned to the same place the next year! Taking into account winter mortality, this shows that just about all the robins that survived winter probably returned to their same territory.

Julie is a Journey North writer who looks for her robin, whom she calls Buddy, to come back each spring. On April 2, Julie said, "I have not seen him YET, although my first wave of robins just arrived this past Saturday and by Sunday, we saw fewer robins but did hear some singing on territory. I assume some move through and others stay. All of the robins I'm seeing are pretty much ignoring me so far. I have thrown blueberries and currants out for them, but they are all so busy chattering at each other and are very restless. In the past, Buddy has shown up (or maybe chooses to respond to me) after that initial wave, once things calm down. I have been calling for him since March 31, so stay tuned!"

Will Buddy return in 2001? How will Julie know it's Buddy? What does Buddy show Julie about robin behaviors? Read her story:

The Robin Snow: Folklore or Fact?

Courtesy of Ann Cook.

Wolfville, Nova Scotia, is a place where robins tend to be seen year round. Jean Timpa tells us, "The ones that nest here leave for warmer climates, but have recently returned or are in the process thereof. A good friend of mine had about 30 in her yard yesterday, busily devouring cut up apples as we had a fair snow storm Friday night-Saturday, and the ground is covered again, hiding those precious worms." Was this the Robin's Snow? You decide! Here's the rest of Jean's story:

"The last three snow storms of the spring are (1) the Robin's Snow just after or when the Robin's are migrating back to us; (2) the Smelt Snow when the smelts are running in the brooks and rivers near the coast such as the Gaspereaux River just south of here over the Ridge; and (3) Poor Man's Fertilizer, which comes on the freshly ploughed soil and brings with it a load of nitrogen as the flakes pass down through the atmosphere. This storm was probably the Robin's Snow--as they are coming back and even starting to sing a bit. The Smelt Snow is usually in late April or early May. The trick is to be able to name/designate the storms in the correct order without missing any or having too many! For instance, if this is the Robin's Snow, then we can only have (by tradition) two more storms, Smelt and Poor Man's Fertilizer. Another storm (northeaster) is already making up off the Carolinas and Virginias now, and that is too early for the Smelts to run."


What's YOUR prediction? Watch the weather maps to see how many more snowstorms fall on Wolfville, Nova Scotia!

Keep Kitty Indoors!
During migration, birds are particularly vulnerable to predators. They are unfamiliar with their surroundings, and tired and hungry after the long journey. This makes them perfect prey for a cunning cat roaming outdoors. Cats are dangerous predators for birds at other times of the year, too. For example, most young birds leave the nest before they can fly well. Whenever you see newly fledged baby birds on the ground or taking short practice flights, remember that they are easy prey for a roaming cat. There's a simple solution: Keep kitty indoors.
True or False? Worldwide, cats may have been involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause, except habitat destruction. To see the answer, and to find out why keeping kitty indoors isn't just for the birds, go to:


Poster Contest: National Keep Your Cat Indoors Day
The American Bird Conservancy's first national poster competition was held last year and attracted entries from 28 states. Did you enter? This year's contest will yield winners in three age categories: Ages 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12. The deadline is May 1, 2001, so you have plenty of time to create and send your entries. Your poster should depict a happy, safe, indoor cat. Winners will be announced by May 12 on American Bird Conservancy's Web site. Find out about prizes, poster sizes, and where to mail your entries at this site:


Let's Vote: Challenge Question #17
Most communities restrict dogs from roaming the neighborhood, but cats can move about as they please. We're interested in hearing what you think about that. What's your opinion?

Challenge Question #17
"Do you think communities should pass laws requiring people to keep housecats inside as a measure to protect songbirds? Vote yes or no."

(To vote, please follow the instructions at the end of this report.)

Robins of a Different Feather: Discussion of Challenge Question #14

Albino Robins. Photos Courtesy Steve Lange.

"What are some reasons why scientists may be more likely to find albino robins than albinos of other species?"
Seventh graders from Iselin Middle School had a good answer: Noel, Vincent, Brian, Clively, and Mahak agreed that "scientists are more likely to find albino robins than albinos in other species because robins are so abundant." Even if albinism were totally random, we'd be more likely to see albino robins than other birds. Robins live in people's yards, where they are conspicuous and out in the open, and don't really need to blend into their backgrounds, so maybe albinos can survive better than other species that need to hide better. Robins may make their mate choices using song and behavior more than plumage, so albino robins have a better chance of reproducing than some other albinos.

Name That Tune! Answers for Challenge Question #15
"Can you Name That Tune, and tell what each tune means?"
HOORAY and congratulations to 4th grade students from Ms. Gilchrist's, Ms. Smith-Fendt's and Ms. Sheer's classes at Glenwood School and Mrs. Nunnally's second grade class in Bedford, NH! They played Name That Tune and got all five answers exactly right! Here they are:
  1. Zeeup call heard during migration
  2. Peek and Tut call during alarming situations
  3. Seee call in response to aerial predator
  4. Song to declare territory
  5. Whinny for mild alarms

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 #16 (or #17).
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 April 17, 2001.

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

Today's News Today's News Report Your Sightings How to Use Journey North Search Journey North