American robin

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More names for this bird

Anishinaabemowin: Opichi

Dakota: ioka

The Dakota and Anishinaabe were among the earliest people to name Minnesota’s plants and animals, as well as to understand them in relation to Minnesota’s climate and seasons. Those original names are still in use, and several are included on the Season Watch website.

Latin (or scientific name): Turdus migratorius

The scientific community has a convention of assigning agreed-upon Latin names to every kind of organism. Using scientific names helps people communicate confidently about the same organism and organize lifeforms based on how closely related they are.

American robin on the ground, in leaf litter. Observed in January.
American robin on the ground.
January 16, 2020, Toronto County, Ontario Canada
Photo © brian stahls, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
iNaturalist observation

About the American robin

  • The American robin is a songbird with a rusty orange breast, melodic song and is widely seen in Minnesota.
  • They eat a large quantity of earthworms in the spring and summer. In fall and winter, robins turn mostly to fruits due to their availability and high energy content.
  • Fun fact: One study suggested that American robins may try to round out their diet by selectively eating fruits that have bugs in them.
  • American robins migrate short distances. Expand the "Migration animation" section below to learn more.


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Migration animation

Click the full-frame icon (lower right corner of video) to play at full size.

Video file

More about eBird's abundance animations

eBird data from 2006-2020. Estimated for 2020. Fink, D., T. Auer, A. Johnston, M. Strimas-Mackey, O. Robinson, S. Ligocki, W. Hochachka, L. Jaromczyk, C. Wood, I. Davies, M. Iliff, L. Seitz. 2021. eBird Status and Trends, Data Version: 2020; Released: 2021. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. https://doi.org/10.2173/ebirdst.2020


Visual guide to phenology

Unlike some birds, adult American robins do not undergo visibly obvious changes in their plumage or bill color. Watch for changes to robins' presence (or absence), abundance, and behaviors at different times of year. Also, pay attention to when young-of-year hatch, fledge, and develop.

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Note to observers

This page explains general clues to watch and listen for when observing American robin phenology. However, this page does not explain how to identify this bird or collect data in a standardized way.

Three American robins on the ground, near open water. Observed in the month of January.
American robin at a bird bath in a snowy scene. Observed in the month of January.
American robin at a bird feeder. Observed in the month of March.
American robin against a blue sky on a branch with buds, no leaves. Appears to be singing.
American robin with nesting material in its bill. Observed in the month of April.
American robin's nest contains three aqua blue eggs. Observed in the month of April.
American robin on the nest. Observed in the month of May.
American robin fledgling with incompletely formed feathers. On the ground. Observed in the month of June.
American robin nestlings begging to be fed. Observed in the month of July.
American robin adult and young at a bird bath. Observed in the month of July.
American robin on a silver maple branch with yellow leaves. Observed in the month of October.
American robin in a wintery scene on a branch of sumac. Observed in the month of November.


Audio resources

Song

A bird's song is a special vocalization associated with breeding behaviors such as setting up and defending territories, finding mates, and courtship. In Minnesota, American robins do not generally sing year-round. Rather, they only sing during times of year that are suitable for breeding. 

Here are three examples of the American robin's song:


Audio file
American robin singing, March 28, 2017, Boulder County, Colorado
Recording by Ted Floyd, (xeno-canto.org/364638) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

 


Audio file
American robin singing, May 5, 2017, Greene County, Missouri
Recording by Ted Floyd (www.xeno-canto.org/367984) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Audio file
American robin singing, May 15, 2022, North Slope Borough, Alaska
Recording by Seth Beaudreault (www.xeno-canto.org/738724) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Calls

Robins call year-round. Because robins are rare or even absent from some areas of Minnesota during winter, their call is a helpful indicator of their seasonal presence. After recognizing a robin's call, the next step is to locate the bird and watch for behavioral clues to its life cycle stage or activities. Here are three examples of calls by American robins:


Audio file
American robin call, May 8, 2012, Monroe County, Tennessee
Recording by Paul Marvin (www.xeno-canto.org/165302) CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Audio file
American robin call, June 4, 2013, Tillamook County, Oregon
Recording by Matthias Feuersenger (www.xeno-canto.org/253522) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Audio file
American robins calling, October 25, 2015, Grant County, New Mexico
Recording by Jarrod Swackhamer (www.xeno-canto.org/287516) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0


Graphs and historical data

Note: The Orientation Center provides a map, as well as information on reading graphs; interpreting summary statistics, who collected the data and how; and how to download datasets for independent exploration.

Hubbard County

First seen

  • Earliest: February 13 (occurred in 2012)
  • Average: March 22
  • Latest: April 2 (occurred in 2013)
Scatterplot showing American robin phenology in Hubbard County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Graph explainer available

Itasca County

First flock of autumn migrators

  • Earliest: August 8 (occurred in 1994)
  • Average: September 2
  • Latest: October 6 (occurred in 1987)
Scatterplot showing American robin phenology in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Last seen

  • Earliest: October 18 (occurred in 1999)
  • Average: November 17
  • Latest: December 28 (occurred in 1992)
Scatterplot showing American robin phenology in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Marshall County

First seen

  • Earliest: March 18 (occurred in 2000)
  • Average: March 28
  • Latest: April 9 (occurred in 2002)
Scatterplot showing first seen dates for American robin in Marshall County, Minnesota