Birds · Passeriformes · Turdidae

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The American robin, known in Spanish as zorzal robín and also as mirlo americano, mirlo primavera, robín, robín americano, zorzal migratorio, zorzal pechirrojo, zorzal petirrojo or zorzal real, is a species of passerine bird of the thrush family. It is widely distributed in North America from northern Canada and Alaska. It winters in the states of Florida and California; and in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. It is the official bird of the states of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin. In Mexico it lives in twenty-nine of its thirty-two states; those where it has not been recorded are Tabasco, Chiapas and Campeche.

Weight

59 g – 94 g

Size

20 cm – 28 cm

Lifespan

14 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

sentidosIt finds earthworms underground mainly by sound and vibration rather than by sight, several behavioural studies suggest.
It is not a robin: it is a thrush of the same genus as the European blackbird, and it owes its name to the English settlers who saw its orange breast and applied the name of the bird from home.
It locates worms by tilting its head, and for a long time it was thought to be listening: experiments have shown that it is in fact looking at them with one eye, because its eyes are on the sides of its head.
The intense turquoise blue of its eggs is so distinctive that it gives its name to a colour in English, and it is one of the most recognisable eggs in the world.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Woodland, grassland, orchards, parks and gardens throughout North America
Birth weight: Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
Size at birth: Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 13 days
Litter / clutch size: 3