Date: 02/23/2017

Number: 150

Ontario bird expert Dr. Margaret Bain reports 150 American robins at her home in Cobourg:

Very interesting phenomenon, all these robins – but the main things to realize are, firstly, that robins in general do not form huge flocks (except occasionally in the most southerly States of the US) but may sometimes form small groups in migration. Secondly robins are not feeder birds, though they will delight in fallen apples or ornamental berry bushes at times.

This winter has been truly unusual – thousands were counted on almost every Christmas Bird Count in southern Ontario in December, breaking every robin record by several degrees of magnitude! So these robins are not arriving now, but have been in the countryside all winter guzzling wild grape, buckthorn, and red cedar, which have all by chance produced huge crops at the same time .We’re probably seeing more robins near habitations now because these wild crops are mostly depleted.
 
I did get some very poor pictures of some of my robin swarm but didn’t want to go outside the house to disturb them. So I haven’t any photos of my multifora rose hedge or the miniature crabapple tree that were solid with birds, but some of the robins warming up on neighbouring roofs and walls and in my birdbath are attached.
 
How much of all this is due to climate change is almost impossible to assess, and probably time alone will tell.
Hope this is of some use to you and to Journey North, but as you can see it really is a most unusual event, never before seen in the memories of any Ontario birders I know!

Editor's Note: We are approximating the date of sighting as February 23.

Cobourg, ON

Latitude: 44 Longitude: -78.2

Observed by:
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