American Robin

Turdus migratorius 
Thrush family (Turdidae)

Our largst thrush, 8 ½” long. Dark gray above, brick red below, white tips of outer tail feathers, white eye crescents, white throat streaked with black, white undertail coverts.

Habitat:
Open lawns near buildings, forest edges.

Nesting:
Builds a large bulky nest of mud and grasses. Nest placed on a horizontal limb of a shrub or tree or on a building ledge, 10 to 20 feet above the ground. Eggs are light blue. Clutch size – 3 to 4 eggs.

Voice:

Song is a cheery whistle, “cheeryup cherrily”.  Call is a scolding “tuk tuk tuk”, given if there is a disturbance near their nest or fledglings.

Name Origin:

Turdus, Latin for “thrush”; migratorius, Latin for “wanderer”

In the Nature Park:
Year-round resident. The American Robin is one of our most recognizable birds and is easy to see on the mowed lawns around the buildings at the Nature Park. We have found several American Robin nests in the forests of the Nature Park.

Photos: