American Robin Announcing the 11th Annual Winter Robin Round-Up! February 3- 17, 2004 Yum Yum! This robin is enjoying handouts of tasty mealworms! Calling All Robins! Where do robins spend the winter, anyway? Let's find out! Before the spring migration begins this year, we'd like to know if you have robins over-wintering in your town. We hope you'll help with Journey North's Annual Winter Robin Round-Up! (See instructions below.) Astonished observers have been reporting robins for weeks. Flocks of robins are being seen in some places, and even places in c-c-cold Alaska report a few over-wintering robins. Here's a sample of what we're hearing: Chicago, IL (January 31): "There were about 8 to 15 very fat (very rotund!) robins on the maple trees in front of my house, on the maple in the back yard, and on the neighbor's roof at about 3:00 pm. I was very surprised to see robins at this time of year in Chicago because I have lived here all my life and never seen them in winter before. . . It is very cold in Chicago today, and they were drinking water from the gutters on the house next door, and pecking on the rooftop shingles." Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada (January 27): "We did have one lonely robin in Pinawa for the annual bird count held within a week of Christmas. Though with our cold starting in January and I mean cold, -30C and wind chills in to the -40C's, I wonder if the poor robin is still alive." Sedalia, MO (January 24): "This morning I observed a large flock of robins (100 or more) on the lawn of my home. During this month I have seen up to 5 robins on 2 occasions, but they are not regular visitors during the winter." Now we need to hear from YOU, too. Join the fun and get on the map of our Winter Robin Round-Up! Here's how: How to Participate 1. Today: Go outside and look for robins. Ask your neighbors if they have seen robins. Contact your friends and relatives in other parts of North America. Ask everybody you know to help you look for robins! Report Your Winter Robin Sightings to Journey North! 2. February 3-17: When you spot a robin, report your observations to Journey North. Important: Our goal is to show where robins are present in early February. This means that ANY robin seen during this time is considered a "winter" sighting. We will add your robin observations to the winter map whether they're seen alone (FIRST Robin) in groups (WAVE of Robins) singing (FIRST song), or OTHER Robin observations. Remember, you have until February 17th, 2004 to collect your sightings! 3. On February 17th: We'll post a map to show where robins are found spending the winter of 2004. We'll also give you a data summary so you can make your own map. 4. After February 17: Continue to watch for robins and help us track their spring migration. Here's how: Report the First Robin You SEE Report the First Robin You HEAR SINGING Report WAVES of Migrating Robins Report Your First EARTHWORM Report OTHER Robin Behaviors You Observe Thank you for your help! Try This! Journaling Question How do you think robins survive, stay warm, and find food when the ground is frozen and the air so cold? How do you think they adapt when it gets cold in the south? Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2024 Journey North. All rights reserved.