N. American Robin (Turdus Migratorius)

Before I tell you about the robin, all you folks interested in birds will really enjoy this article that was in our newspaper today. Two couples went for The Big Year for Washington State and this is their story. Well, some of it.


Nothing is more iconic to North America than the Robin. This bird is in the Thrush family and not related to the European Robin. Turdus Migratorius is Latin for Thrush Migrating. Now we know. And I gotta tell you, I was shocked to see two of them in our yard. They are elsewhere in the winter and they show up sometime in February to begin their nesting season. In fact, I suppose because it's so dry outside right now...dry and cold...there is a lot of bird activity in the back yard. The water features are very popular. OMG! Please go to \my flickr page to see other photos including a flock of RED CROSSBILLS that came to the Collins Bird Spa just a bit ago. We about fainted. We've never seen them in our yard before and a mess of them came to the water. Holy Cow!! I should change my blip, but...sigh...I don't want to. Maybe they will be here tomorrow....cross your fingers for the Crossbill to return...!
Here are some fun Robin facts:

Baby robins are helpless at birth but reach the size of their parents after just two weeks!

Robins fly at 17 to 32 mph.

Robin have about 2,900 feathers.

Only the male robin sings the "true robin song," and he sings it to declare his personal nesting territory. It sounds like he's singing "cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheer-up, cheerily."

Robins have an average life span of 1 year and 2 months, but many live about five or six years. As of February 2001, the longest-living banded wild robin ever recorded had survived 13 years and 11 months, according to the Bird Banding Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. In captivity, robins have survived longer than 17 years.

Robins are one of the most widespread songbirds in the Western Hemisphere.

The robin is the state bird of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Connecticut.


And it has it's own fun song, "Rockin' Robin". (First recorded by Bobby Day, 1958)

Twiddley dee, Twiddley diddley dee
Twiddley dee, Twiddley diddley dee
Twiddley dee, Twiddley diddley dee
Tweet, tweet, twiddley de

He rocks in the treetops all the day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singing this song
Every little bird, every little bee
Loves to hear the robin go tweet-tweet-tweet

Rockin' Robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Rockin' Robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Yeah go Rockin' Robin, really gonna rock tonight

Every little swallow, every chick-a-dee
Every little bird in the old oak tree
Wise old owl, big black crow
Put out their wings singing go bird go

Rockin' Robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Rockin' Robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Yeah go Rockin' Robin, really gonna rock tonight

The pretty little raven at the birdbath stand
Taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
Start goin' steady and bless my soul,
He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole

He rocks in the treetops all the day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singing this song
Every little bird, every little bee
Loves to hear the robin go tweet-tweet-tweet

Rockin' Robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Rockin' Robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Yeah go Rockin' Robin, really gonna rock tonight