Turdus migratorius

Photo Information

(3738)

Genre: Places

Medium: Color

Date Taken: 2008-04-03

Categories: Nature

Camera: Canon EOS 30D, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS, Digital RAW ISO 400

Exposure: f/8, 1/1600 seconds

Photo Version: Original Version

Date Submitted: 2008-04-04 8:29

Viewed: 566

Points: 16

[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note

The American Robin is a familiar sight pulling up worms on suburban lawns. Although it's at home breeding in deep, mature forests, the robin is the most widespread thrush in North American thanks to a tolerance for human-modified habitats.

Description

large thrush.
Back and wings gray.
Underparts red.
Dark head with white eye crescents.

Size: 20-28 cm (8-11 in)
Wingspan: 31-40 cm (12-16 in)
Weight: 77 g (2.72 ounces)
Sex Differences
Sexes look similar; female paler, especially on head.

Sound
Song a musical whistled phrase, "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up." Call note a sharp "chup." Also a very high-pitched thin whistling note.

Status
Populations appear stable or increasing throughout its range. Because the robin forages largely on lawns, it is vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and can be an important indicator of chemical pollution. You can help scientists learn more about this species by participating in the Celebrate Urban Birds! project.

Other Names
Merle d'Amérique (French)
Mirlo primavera (Spanish)

Cool Facts

Hundreds of thousands of American Robins can gather in a single winter roost. In summer, females sleep on the nests and males congregate in roosts. As young robins become independent, they join the males in the roost. Female adults go to the roosts only after they have finished nesting.

The American Robin eats both fruit and invertebrates. Earthworms are important during the breeding season, but fruit is the main diet during winter. Robins eat different types of food depending on the time of day; they eat earthworms early in the day and more fruit later in the day. Because the robin forages largely on lawns, it is vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and can be an important indicator of chemical pollution.

An American Robin can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, though, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those fledged young survive to November. From that point on, about half of the robins alive in any year will make it to the next. Despite the fact that a lucky robin can live to be 14 years old, the entire population turns over on average every six years.

Although the appearance of a robin is considered a harbinger of spring, the American Robin actually spends the winter in much of its breeding range. However, because they spend less time in yards and congregate in large flocks during winter, you're much less likely to see them. The number of robins present in the northern parts of the range varies each year with the local conditions. For a discussion of how snow cover affects wintering robins, based on Great Backyard Bird Count data, here.

Source : http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Robin.html

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Critiques [Translate]

tojav (874)
[2008-04-04 8:36]

Hi Jean,
I like birds, ale know how photographing it hard. Pretty colours and good sharpness. It pleases to me. I congratulate and greet. Wiesiek

c-ynthia (1765)
[2008-04-04 9:06]

It is a very sharp photo of the bird.
His colour matches the treecolour he is sitting on
TFS
Cynthia

Ber (4660)
[2008-04-04 11:04]

Hi Jean
Excellent photo of this bird. Great composition and sharpness. Amazing colors. Regards

boonie (7679)
[2008-04-04 14:02]

Hi Jean
Finally a sure sign of spring in the cold North. Beautiful bird well captured - even the color of the seed pods blend in with his chest. Bravo!

dan

atsouth (1135)
[2008-04-04 14:31]