Waiting
for Buddy
A Tale of a Returning Robin
By Julie Brophy
"Buddy?...
Buddy...?"
Well, we called
and called through the spring and summer of 2001, but no sign of him. The
neighbors heard us and thought we were calling for a dog. What they didn't
know is that Buddy is a robin!
If Buddy had returned, it would have been the fourth year in a row that
he spent the spring and summer months in our backyard and at our door! (One
of the kids in the neighborhood named him Buddy.)
Three
Years With Buddy
We first noticed Buddy in the spring of 1998. He returned on March 30 in
spring 1999. Spring 2000 arrived a little earlier, and so did Buddy —
on March 11.
We'd seen many male
robins in the area that March, but none seemed interested in the currants,
raisins, chopped apples, or mealworms we put out in the yard for them.
Even with a short-lived cover of new snow on the ground, they were not
the least bit interested in food right then. Instead, they were actively
establishing and defending their territory. This is usually one of the
first signs that male robins are beginning to break off from their groups
and defend their own areas.
So, if Buddy was out
there, he'd been too busy to stop by —
until Saturday March 11! We first observed him standing outside our front
door on the driveway. We knew it was Buddy because of his familiar markings
and also because he did not fly away when we opened the door, like most
other birds would. Instead, he watched us from a close but safe distance.
And sure enough, when we called his name, he came running towards us,
looking to see if we had served up any food.
Just like clockwork each morning and evening, Buddy showed up on the porch
outside the kitchen and looked inside the window to see if we were there.
And if we were not in the kitchen, he'd fly to the front door to see if
we were there. He never got too close to us, which is good because we
wanted him to remain cautious in his surroundings. In fact, when we put
out mealworms for him, he flew up to a favorite branch, and then flew
back down to enjoy the worms after we had moved away.
Keeping
a Watchful Eye
Buddy's behavior appeared to be slightly different later in the season.
Early on, he was very restless when he came to eat. He didn't take any extra
time to linger, and instead spent just enough time to eat the mealworms.
Sometimes he even interrupted his meal to chase off another male robin.
Very often, he looked to the sky. That time of year, hawks are frequent
visitors as they migrate through. Perhaps he kept a watchful eye for hawks.
The next thing Buddy watched for (and we did too) was the arrival of the
first female robins in the area. We reported the first females to Journey
North. We also watched to see how long it would take Buddy to find a mate,
or for the mate to find him. In spring 1999, Buddy even brought his mate
nearby to share in the mealworms.
Is
That You, Buddy?
How did we know it was really Buddy returning in 1999 and 2000? Don't most
robins look alike? In 1999, we began calling for Buddy and suddenly, plop!
There he was on branch in a nearby tree, calling and chattering as if to
say, "Oh, I remember you! So glad to see you; do you have anything
for me to eat?" We were just as surprised to see him as we think
HE was to see US!
Buddy did have some subtle differences in coloration and he behaved differently
from the other resident robins. For instance, he would fly to our deck or
outside a particular window to try to get our attention. If we left the
kitchen and went upstairs, he would often fly to the upstairs level and
look in on us through the windows.
Most people think robins all look pretty much alike. Can you tell the robins
in your backyard apart? Look for subtle variations in markings on the beak,
breast, abdomen, or tail. Does the coloration of your robins vary? Does
their behavior vary?
Where
Had He Been All Winter?
Have you ever wondered where your robins went for the winter? Ornithologists
try to answer this by putting numbered leg bands on some robins. If they're
lucky, eventually someone finds some of these banded birds again and reports
where they are found. We have compiled some earlier robin banding data for
each state/province. Take a look and see where your robins might have gone:
MacDonald's,
Burger King, or Munchy Mealworms?
We've learned
a lot by observing Buddy. We could always tell when his young had hatched
and had begun eating solid food. Instead of only eating a few mealworms
himself each visit, Buddy would load his beak with as many mealworms as
he could possibly hold. Then, like a cargo plane, he would deliver them
to the nest for the young robins! How many mealworms do you think a robin
can hold in its beak?
In 1999, Buddy helped raise two broods of young. He even brought Buddy Jr.
to dine on mealworms too.
It seems that
robins aren't the only ones who love mealworms. Other birds do too, and
even chipmunks and toads stop by for a wiggly bite.
Still Calling
"Buddy?, Buddy?" Buddy never returned in 2001, but we'll keep
calling for him. If he ever comes back we'll be sure to let you know right
away!
Discussion
and Journaling Questions
- What do
you think it would feel like to have to look around all day for fear
a hawk might swoop down on you at any moment?
- Why do
you think Buddy's feeding habits changed from his early arrival to later
in the season?
- What general
things can you infer from this story about robin behavior?
- Robins
look pretty much the same for their entire adult lives. How do you think
Buddy recognized Julie when she wore different clothes every day?
National
Science Education Standards
- Organisms
have basic needs. For example, animals need air, water and food; plants
require air, water, nutrients, and light.
- The behavior
of individual organisms is influenced by internal cues (such as hunger)
and by external cues (such as a change in the environment).
- An organism's
behavior patterns are related to the nature of that organism's environment,
including the kinds and number of other organisms present, the availability
of food and resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment.
- Behavior
is one kind of response an organism can make to an internal or environmental
stimulus.
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