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American Robin Migration Update: March 19, 2002

Today's Report Includes:

Migration Update: Here They Come, Ready or Not!
Frigid weather accompanied those early March winter storm systems, but as it cleared out, robin migration surged! This week's first sightings map shows a beautiful migration pattern! See how the vast majority of eastern sightings are clustered along the Great Lakes and rivers. Many individual robins rush ahead of the rest, but the vast majority of robins stick with the 36-degree isotherm, and migrate in flocks.

(To view data reported, click on caption below each map.)

First Robins
Seen

Waves
of Robins

First Robins Heard Singing

Both individuals AND waves of robins are being seen along the Great Lakes. And notice that the map of singing robins shows territorial males But there are still waves of robins much farther south! Do you think the migrating birds being seen in the south right now are more likely to be headed for the northern, central, or southern parts of robin nesting range?

Challenge Question #4:
"Will the flocks of migrating robins that are currently in the south end up in the northern, central, or southern parts of the robin nesting range?"

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

Go West, Young Robin! Go West!
Out West in Sacramento, CA, Ms. Ladas' 6th grade class spotted their first robin on March 4, 2002 on the school grounds. They write, "It was alone and resting on the fence that separates the kindergarten playground from the other students' playground. We loved seeing it. It's been colder than usual in Sacramento and most of our spring things are late in coming. Tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and other beautiful flowers are usually in full bloom by now."

A fascinating story told by this week's maps is about the big difference between the eastern half of the continent and the western half. Why do you suppose there are so many more robin sightings in the East than in the West?

Challenge Question #5:
"Why do the Journey North maps show so many more robin sightings in the eastern half of North America than the western half?"

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

First Northern Observation Post Sighting!

Northern Observation Posts

Robins turned up in Ajax, ON, where suddenly they're everywhere! Ute Keitsch reports that it "Looks like the territorial borders are all set because you can see them sitting and waiting! Same with the Redwings. They are sitting on there staked out and watching the sky. No sighting of females in either species. Last night we had a strong winds coming from the east and rain.It is still raining a bit, but the winds are gone. Above freezing temps for the next few days."

When will robins reach the other Northern Observation Posts? A few weeks ago, we gave you prediction worksheets. What's the word from those Northern Observation Posts? Please be sure to see updated worksheets, which now have 22 confirmed observers in 20 different sites. You'll notice that we're now entering for you the actual First Seen and First Song dates on the worksheets as sightings are reported. Have fun comparing your predictions with the actual dates:

Announcing Journey North's 2002 Early Bird Contest!
How long will it take robins to reach the end of the road? Once again this spring, students at Sand Lake School in Anchorage, Alaska will officiate our annual Early Bird Contest. In this contest, we challenge you to predict when the first robins will be seen in Anchorage. To enter the contest, simply answer this question:

Challenge Question #6:
"When do you think the first robin will be spotted in Anchorage, Alaska (61.22 N, 149.90 W)?" Do you think it will arrive with the 36-degree isotherm?

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

In the meantime, here are a few clues about signs of spring in Anchorage from teacher Mike Sterling: "We're just coming out of a LONG period of cold, clear weather up here in South Central Alaska. A low pressure system is, as I write, pushing its way up the inlet, and clouding the sky for the first time in two weeks. The prognosticators are calling for a week of above-freezing temps, snow, and high winds. I don't think we'll be seeing any robins for a month at the minimum."

And more clues: dates of "first American robin arrivals" in Anchorage for the past 5 years!

  • 1997: Week of April 5
  • 1998: April 6
  • 1999: April 26
  • 2000: April 17
  • 2001: March 29
  • 2002: What's your prediction?

Spring Pouncing!

photo by Ann Cook

Imagine actually witnessing winter being transformed into spring in a few short hours. Journey North science writer Laura Erickson did just that last week, when she drove from northern Minnesota to southern Wisconsin. When she left, a foot of new snow covered the ground in Duluth (46.78101 N). The ground was still snow-covered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (44.82115 N) but some flocks of geese flew above the highway. When she reached Tomah (43.93705 N) the snow was all gone. Suddenly she was noticing Red-tailed Hawks everywhere-circling on thermal air currents above the road, hunting in fields, and perched in trees. For the rest of her journey south, she saw 2 or 3 on every 5-mile stretch: over 150 in all! She also saw her first Red-winged Blackbirds, perched on cattails in ditches along the highway, and feeding on grit on the shoulder of the road.

The farther south she went, the more geese were flying, too. Canada Geese migrate in the same conditions as robins, following the 36- or 37-degree isotherm, and so naturally Laura started looking for robins. Geese are far more conspicuous than robins in flight overhead, and robins aren't particularly drawn to interstate highways; but sure enough, as soon as she started looking, she saw robins. They were feeding in empty cornfields, perched in trees, and flying over the road.

When she reached Columbia County (43.47118 N) she took a break from driving to visit a place called Goose Pond. The wind was chilly and there was still ice on the pond, but swans, geese, and ducks swam about in a spot of open water. Fifty-eight Sandhill Cranes flew overhead, and 2 perched on the ice next to some Tundra Swans. When Laura heard cranes calling from a cornfield near the pond, she spotted four cranes silhouetted on the crest of a hill, and when she lowered her gaze a bit, she suddenly realized that robins were feeding in the cornfield, too. HUNDREDS of robins! She carefully checked them out, and found only males. She knew this was a wave of migrants because they were eating their typical spring diet of worms. She had her car windows open, but the robins were very quiet--more evidence that these were migrants, because not one was singing the territorial song. She watched as one robin cocked his head, stick his beak into the wet mud, and pulled out a huge, VERY plump, earthworm!

Laura continued her journey to Milwaukee (43.19446 N). And here at last she found her favorite sign of spring--robins in full song. She didn't see any females yet, but knew they were on their way!

Settling In
,Robins follow a pattern every spring. They make a transition from winter behavior (belonging to a feeding flock, eating mainly fruit, singing very little or not at all) to spring behavior (belonging to a migration flock, switching diet to worms as well as fruit, increased singing).

As soon as our first robins arrive, we can usually observe singing by the territorial individuals as migrants continue to pass through. Males arrive a week or two ahead of the females. By the time females arrive, males have established their territories. Pairs spend a few days establishing their bonds as the female recuperates from migration and starts selecting a nesting site. Then she gets to work building the nest.

Robins don't need written instructions for building their summer homes. They follow the "nest-building blueprints" in their brains, and instinctively know how to build the perfect structure to hold the eggs they're about to lay. Have you ever noticed that robins' nests are always alike? But have you ever seen a robin teaching another how to build a nest? Imagine you are a robin. You can make a robin nest yourself if you follow our instructions here:

Introducing Robin Nest Photo Study!

Sitting Pretty
photo by Julie Brophy

Journey North science write Julie Brophy had a robin nesting in her backyard last summer, and took many photograhs to share with us. In this report we're starting a nifty nest study to take you through the season with Julie's robin. In every Update, you'll see new photos of the robin's growing family together with new Challenge Questions to think about. Here's the first installment:

May 8, 2001 Julie's robin was incubating 4 eggs after building her nest about 10 feet up in a spruce tree. Tree-nesting robins usually build their first nest of the year in a spruce or pine, and virtually never in an oak or maple, though often their second or third nest is in one of these trees.

Julie didn't discover this nest until May 8. But we know from other robin studies that the female probably spent about 5-7 days building before she laid her first egg. We also know that female robins usually lay one egg a day until their clutch of 4 or 5 eggs is complete. If the weather is bad, nest construction may take two weeks. The weather before and during nest-building are more important for robins than many species. Think about Julie's robin and answer these questions:

Challenge Question #7:
"Why do you think robins virtually never build their first nest of the year in an oak or maple?"

Challenge Question #8:
"List some ways that weather affects robin nest construction."

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

Digging in a Drought: Challenge Question #2
Last time we asked, "What effect might a drought have on how well robins can get worms?" We were very happy with the many responses students submitted! Children in quite a few classes pointed out that worms need moisture, and when the soil dries up, the worms must go down very deep to stay alive. The robins can't reach them. Several students also pointed out that when soil gets dry, it also becomes very hard, making it even harder for robins to feed.

Seventh graders Jeff, Niral, Erin, and Megan from Iselin Middle School added that when the worms are too deep for robins to reach, they "need to feed on other sources, such as bugs or berries."

Bobby Pogoloff's second and third graders in Crested Butte, Colorado, pointed out that "Our ground is still snow covered and very frozen! Maybe that's why we haven't seen robins even though they have been spotted in Denver. We are 200 miles SW and almost 4,000 feet higher." Isn't it fascinating that whether worms are down deep because of drought or frozen conditions, robins can't get them?

Global Warming: Discussion of Challenge Question #3
Last time we asked: "Does this year's robin data support the idea of global warming? Do you think global warming is a problem? What should we be doing about it?" Students gave us a lot of thought-provoking answers!

Iselin Middle School seventh graders Jaime, Desiree, AJ, Adam, and Rawar said, "Yes, it supports the idea of global warming. Robins are moving further north then they should be at this time of year. The robins are going crazy; nesting in Chicago in January. Global warming is becoming a problem for the animals and maybe even for humans. To fix the problem of global warming, we should have stricter laws about factory pollution that affects the ozone layer. There should also be stricter car emission regulations."

Bobby Pogoloff's second and third grade class in Crested Butte, Colorado took a poll. Out of 18 students, 9 thought global warming is the reason for robins overwintering in colder places, 5 did not and 4 didn't know; 17 children in the class think of global warming as a problem

They came up with several ideas to prevent global warming:

  • Stop driving cars so much.
  • Walk, ride your bike or use a scooter to get places.
  • Keep motors in our houses to prevent the gases from getting to the atmosphere.
  • Invent cars that don't use gas.
  • Keep reading research and become a scientist that studies global warming.
  • Do things to help the atmosphere stay strong so the sun doesn't get through easily. Try to fix the holes in the atmosphere.

Congratulations to these students for recognizing that if we humans are part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution! Which of these ideas seem practical for you? Can you think of other things that we can do to prevent or ease negative effects of global warming?

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 # 4 (OR #5 OR #6 OR #7 OR #8)
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 American Robin Migration Update Will be Posted on March 26 (data only).

Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
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