The American Robin inhabits a large variety of suburban and natural areas, feeding on invertebrates in spring and summer and fruit in fall and winter [Sallabanks and James 1999 (BNA)]. It has an extremely wide range in North America, breeding throughout most of the continent. Breeding is limited in Florida and Mexico, however. The winter range overlaps that of the breeding range in much of the U.S., and robins only winter in the southernmost portions of Canada [Sallabanks and James 1999 (BNA)]. Despite the fact that the species is resident in most states, most robin populations are migratory and robins may form large, nomadic flocks in the southern states in the winter [Bent 1949]. There are numerous identified subspecies of robins. The more southerly subspecies typically move a shorter distance south during migration than the northerly subspecies, so that that subspecies overlap on the wintering grounds [Lincoln 1935].
American Robins are fairly early spring migrants, moving northward in conspicuous flocks as soil invertebrates become available [Sallabanks and James 1999 (BNA)]. Robins migrate diurnally and typically depart their southernmost wintering grounds around February [Bent 1949]. They begin arriving in Massachusetts in March [Bent 1949, Sallabanks and James 1999], but the peak of their migration in this state does not occur until mid-April [Veit and Petersen 1993]. Robins use the same habitats during migration as they do in the breeding season [Sallabanks and James 1999 (BNA)]. Like many other species, male robins arrive before females in the spring [Lincoln 1935].
Fall migration appears to be complex in this species, with individuals dispersing into flocks in late summer but perhaps not vacating an area until a few months later [Sallabanks and James 1999 (BNA)]. In Massachusetts, fall migration peaks around late October [Veit and Petersen 1993]. However, flocks may remain in New England throughout the winter [Veit and Petersen 1993, Ellison 1983, Delorey 1996], shifting location according to weather and food availability [Veit and Petersen 1993].
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Observations
Robins are not a deep forest species, either as migrants or breeding birds. The open understory of CT A sites in the south of our area was the preferred habitat for the greatest concentrations of this species. Many fewer robins were detected in CT C sites, or any of the sites in MA, NH or VT. The species was present from first to last periods, especially in periods 1 and 2, particularly in CT.
American Robin was the 6th most abundant species recorded, with a mixture of migrants and residents in all locations. The peak flock of 33 birds was seen on the Farmington R. in CT in 1998. |
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