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Robin Migration Update: February 19, 2002
Today's Report Includes:
- Winter Robin Round-Up: The Results Are In!
- What's Up With Winter This Year?
- Are You Ready to Track Robin Migration?
- Tracking Robin Migration With Song: Robins Announce Their Own Arrival
- There's Always a Catch: The Challenges of Tracking Migration With Song
- Do You Know the Robin's True Song? Time to Practice
- Name That Tune: Challenge Question #1
- Tracking Robins to the End of the Trail: Link to Lesson
Winter Robin Round-Up: The Results Are In!
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Overwintering Map |
"I've seen more robins this winter than ever before! They're usually in a flock (ranging from 6 to 50 robins), often seen on berry-bearing trees or bushes. It's a pretty cold winter here - in the teens during the night. I'm not sure why so many robins are here. Maybe they want to see the winter Olympics!"
What's Up With Winter This Year?
"I have never seen so many robins this early in the year. What's up?" Way back in January, George Malz of Bolton, Ontario, Canada asked us that question. A Massachusetts observer said, "It's a real tough call this winter here in Massachusetts. American robins have been around all winter in big numbers."
It's going to be VERY tricky trying to figure out which are the last robins of winter and which are the first robins of spring. Based on the sightings you report in the coming weeks, we'll all track the robin migration as best we can. We at Journey North are used to hearing about robins wintering in northern places, because every year a few hardy robins do spend the coldest season in the north. But even robin watchers in southern regions are surprised by this year's unusual weather patterns and the robin activity:
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On Feb. 12, Nancy from Slidell, LA saw a flock of robins in the yard, the first she'd seen this year. "Usually we see them the first week in January, but didn't this year. Actually, I was thinking that it has been uncommonly cold in the south this winter (for example, the ice storm in Mexico that killed thousands of Monarch butterflies) and maybe the robins delayed their journey because it was cold down here. I usually see them once--the first week in January, and that's it, so I was really surprised to see them this late." (stamiliojn@earthlink.net)Photo courtesy Anne Cook 
- "Where I live the robins do not really sing on territory, but I must say
I have been hearing a lot of robins making a lot of different sounds both in the
trees and flying. Here in FL we are thinking they are already making an exodus out
of FL. The numbers have been lower in this state than I can remember in many years,
and they did not come to my yard to eat bayberries as they have in the past. This
seems to be a very strange winter all over the US." (MILEYBUG@aol.com from Ormond
Beach, FL)
- More than 100 robins were seen at Corning CA on Feb. 9: "We've never seen so many robins collected together before. It's as if they are waiting for better weather farther north!"
Are You Ready to Track Robin Migration?
While our Round-Up map shows WHERE robins were found in early February, it does not show HOW MANY were found at each place. (Scientists would say the map shows robin "DISTRIBUTION" but does not show robin "ABUNDANCE.") For example, this observer from Monticello, AR notes: "Two weeks ago I saw a larger number of robins than had been seen all winter. Then it was back to the normal number. Yesterday I saw quite a few in the yard, but today they are here by the hundreds or perhaps thousands."
The fact is that, even though robins are already spread across a large portion of their range, we're about to see huge masses of them move across the continent. The abundance of robins is about to shift dramatically from south to north. With your help, we'll track the migration!
Please read these instructions so you can help to track robin movements.
- Report the First Robins You SEE
- Report WAVES of Robins (groups as few as 3 or more than 100)
- Report the First Robin You HEAR SINGING the robin's "song"
These three maps show the progress so far:
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Tracking Robin Migration With Song: Robins Announce Their Own Arrival
With robins overwintering in so many places this year, we don't expect to see a clear migration pattern based on "First Sightings" until the migration moves into Canada. Therefore, the best way to track the migration will be through robin song. What will make this possible?
- When robins arrive on territory, they sing. So, with careful listening by all observers, we will track the robins' arrival on their breeding territories all across the continent.
There's Always a Catch: The Challenges of Tracking Migration With Song
While the overwhelming majority of robin song takes place on territory, nothing in nature is foolproof. Robins will sing on occasion before they are on territory and/or before they complete or even begin their migration. As their breeding hormones increase it's as if some male robins can't help but burst out into song. Some robins don't migrate at all, so their first song actually represents the beginning of the breeding season.
These observations from Montgomery, AL illustrate how singing beginsand how difficult determining "FIRST" song can be, especially in southern regions:
"There was some singing early in January, and the amount of singing has been on the increase recently. As you know, most birds will occasionally sing while on wintering grounds. It is far from easy to state definitively when you switch from occasional wintering song to real getting-geared-up singing sessions. This morning (2/14), I still heard more calls than songs, and that will probably remain the case for awhile." (tanagerlfg@aol.com)
Remember, the exceptions are part of what makes the whole study of nature so fascinating!
Yet no matter where you live, the increased frequency of song should make the arrival
of migrants and the beginning of the breeding season clear.
Do You Know the Robin's True Song? Time to Practice
The five different vocalizations made by robins are listed below. Only the first is the true song. All five have their own meaning, according to Lang Elliott, an authority on bird vocalizations. While you wait for your robin to arrive, learn to recognize its true song. That's how you'll know YOUR robin reached the end of its migration.
- The robin's "song" is a territorial declaration.
- The "peek" and "tut" calls are heard in alarm situations.
- The "whinny" is heard in mildly alarming situations.
- The high-pitched "Seeeee" call is given in response to the presence of an aerial predator.
- The "Zeeeup" call is a contact note heard mainly during migration.
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Song |
"Peek" and
"Tut" calls |
"Whinny" |
"Seeee" call |
"Zeeup!" call |
Name That Tune!
Now you're ready to play Name That Tune! Here are the same five vocalizations again, in scrambled order. Write down the numbers, then listen to the recordings. What is the name of each call, and what does each call mean? Finally, answer this all-important challenge question -- and you'll be ready to track the migration!
Challenge Question #1:
"Which vocalization will you hear when your robins are back on their breeding territory?"
(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)
Tracking Robins to the End of the Trail: Link to Lesson
To ensure that the first robins to reach far north are properly noted and welcomed, Journey North has set up 24 observation posts where observers will report their first robins. Terri Zacher writes from one of our northern posts:
"I was quite surprised (although with this weather, why?) to see a very fat robin outside on the grass, jabbing at the ground like there was a worm or something. This was on January 26 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada (42.83N, 80.30W). I've never seen one this early." Terri also said that Audubon folks did a bird count and found 17 robins in Anchorage!
Later, in our Early Bird Contest, you'll have a chance to predict the arrival
of robins at one of the northern posts: Sand Lake School in Anchorage, Alaska (61.22N,
149.90W). But for now, when do you think robins will (1) first be seen and (2) start
to sing -- in EACH of our 24 Northern Observation Posts? But first:
Robin migration is tightly connected to weather, unlike hummingbird or oriole migration.
You can get some help making robin migration predictions from a special map that
shows climate bands, or where climate is coldest. Plant Hardiness Zones divide the
United States and Canada into 11 areas based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference
in the average annual minimum temperature. (Do you know what zone YOU live in, and
what the average minimal temperatures are?) Go to the web for our activity that explains
what the Plant Hardiness Zone Map is. Then use the map to help you make your predictions
about robins heading to their northernmost breeding grounds. You can also print out
our map of the Northern Observation Posts and handy record sheets for listing your
predictions. It's all here:
How to Respond to Today's Challenge Question:
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 #1.
3. In the body of each message, answer ONE of the questions above.
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Your reports will be incorporated into these Robin Migration Updates.
The Next Robin Migration Update Will be Posted on March 5, 2002.
Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
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