American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Large and conspicuous, this species is one of the most
familiar birds. It is commonly seen on grassy lawns but is found in many
habitats from tundra to forests, often in large flocks in winter.
Large and sturdy, with long legs and fairly long tail; plain
orange breast and grayish back distinctive in all plumages.
Wingbeats smooth, flicking; short glides with wings held
close to body.
Robinlike Songs: American Robin sings in a pattern of
several short, warbled phrases, followed by a pause and then another set of
phrases, and so on. This song pattern is shared in varying degrees by many
other species of birds, and references to “robinlike songs” are frequent. Songs
most often compared to robins include those of the Red-eyed Vireo group,
tanagers, Rose-breasted (Pheucticus) grosbeaks, and some orioles.
Voice: Song a series of low whistled phrases with liquid
quality typical of thruses; each phrase delivered rather quickly but with long
pauses between phrases; often two or three phrase alternately repeated over and
over plurrri, kliwi, plurrri, kliwi. .
. . Call varies from a low mellow pup
or a sharp, clucking, often double piik to
a sharper, rapid, urgent series kli
quiquiquiqui koo; also a lower, softer puk
puk pukand a harsh, high, descending shheerr.
Flight call a very high, trilled, descending srreel; often combined with other calls such as srreel puk puk puk. Alarm like other
thruses: a very high, thin tseeew or
shorter seew.
Geographic variation is limited and clinal. Most Western
populations average paler and drabber than Eastern and nearly lack white
corners on the tail. Breeders of Atlantic Canada are richly colored with
extensive black on nape and mantle. Western birds have very limited white tail
corners.
Works Cited
Sibley, D. A. The Sibley Guide to Birds. New
York City: Chanticleer Press, Inc. (2000): 403.
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