American Robin Photo John Deignan Q. What word do you think could describe the wind conditions in this photo? Explain.   Journey North's robin expert, Laura Erickson, says: "These robins are facing all directions. That’s a clue to the wind conditions. When there’s a strong wind affecting the birds, they face into the wind, just as they do when they fly. Their feathers won’t be ruffled, because the wind rushes past in the same direction as the feathers grow and lay. If this were a windy day, all the birds would be facing in one direction: into the wind. Because they are facing all directions, we can conclude that it's a calm or still day." Laura says windy weather is harder on birds. The wind pushes their feathers against their bodies. This makes it harder for the bird to fluff out its feathers, which helps it stay warm. Back to Winter Robin Photo Studies Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.