This week’s Photo of the Week focuses on a familiar bird to all of us, the American Robin!

THE STORY BEHIND THIS WEEK’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

This past week has been a pretty busy and interesting week for me.  Attended my regularly scheduled monthly meetings: Warren County Morris Canal Trail Committee, Warren County Board of Recreation, Allamuchy Township Town Council (workshop) Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission.  Then also attended a couple of last minute meetings with JORBA (Jersey Off Road Biking Association) and SCBC (Sussex County Bird Club Exec. Bd.).  I was also was given an opportunity to represent the MRMC (Musconetcong River Management Council) as Chairman, during which three different Appropriations and Funding presentations (all virtual) were made, all part of the National Wild & Scenic Partner Rivers Program.   These meetings were set up by the MWA (Musconetcong Watershed Association), the lead agency in managing the Musconetcong River under contract with the NPS National Park Service.  The three meetings were with the staff of Congressman Gottheimer, Congressman Malinowski and Senator Booker. 

Needless to say I didn’t get too many chances to roam around and enjoy the improving weather!!  I had also been thinking about what my Photo of the Week article would be about.  During some of my travels here and there I actually noticed a Robin!!  THINKING:  Improving weather, actually a couple of warmish days?!  Snow is basically gone!!  The clocks are ahead and Spring officially arrives in a week on March 20^th & then I saw a ROBIN!!  I think I just found my Photo of the Week article!

These are all wonderful signs that Spring is around the corner – BUT – we are still in March, so using an old adage, “We are still not out of the woods yet!”

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ROBINS

There is plenty to say about robins on the Internet and in books. The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is the most widespread thrush in North America.  It is a very commonly seen bird in the suburbs as it forages on lawns, taking a few steps, stopping, turning its head, listening and then a quick couple of pecks into the lawn usually produces a nice juicy worm for its efforts!  It is known for its bright red belly and beautiful song. In winter robins form large flocks that wander in search of fruit.  Often associated with the advent of Spring, most people think they are returning back north after migrating south, but while some do go south the majority winter in the northern states where they frequent cedar bogs and swamps and are not usually observed except when they gather in large roosts of thousands of birds.  (NOTE: Robins originally nested in the forests and those that still do are a lot shyer than those over the years who have acclimated to the grass lawns of our neighborhoods!)

FACTS AND FIGURES

Size:  9-11 inches (23-28cm) Gray above, brick red below.  Head and tail black in males, dull gray in females.  Young birds are spotted below.

Voice:  The robin has a beautiful voice, a series of rich caroling notes, rising and falling in pitch, “cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheerily” and this may be sung for hours.  The male robin has the beautiful song and it is usually the last bird heard after sunset.

Habitat:  Towns, gardens, open woodlands and agricultural lands

Nesting:  3-5 blue-green eggs in a mud reinforced nest of grass and twigs with softer grasses inside.  The nest is usually built in a tree but can be built on a ledge or even a window sill.  The American robin usually has two broods a season.  Takes about 14 days for eggs to hatch.

Range:  It breeds from Alaska east across the continent to Newfoundland, and south to California, Texas, Arkansas and South Carolina.  Winters north to British Columbia and Newfoundland.

INTERESTING FACTS

Robins are very popular in both North America and Europe.  They are the National Bird of Great Britain and the State Bird for Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin.

They also are fond of sweets – fruits, berries, sweet cakes and even pastry dough are among their favorites.

Males and females look almost exactly alike except if you look closely the female is a little duller colored.

In the past, robins were killed for their meat!!  They are now protected in the U.S. thanks to the migratory Bird Act.

Robins are known to be carriers of the West Nile Virus.  The robin is able to hold the virus longer than any other species, thus allowing more mosquitos to be infected.

One of their characteristics is running then stopping, running then stopping.

Robins that do migrate can cover a lot of territory.  Records show some birds have traveled up to 3,000 miles from Iowa to Alaska during their spring migration.

Like most other migratory birds, robins do not maintain pair bonds and often take on new mates each spring.  

Robins were among the first avian species found to be affected by the use of DDT and scientists recorded mass mortality events as a result.  After the 1972 ban on DDT, their populations quickly recovered!

On average they live for two years in the wild but have been recorded as living as long as nine years. 

OBSERVATION:  We all realize that mankind does change the habitat of our Wildlife neighbors.  Here is an example of how we are affecting the American Robin.  Urbanization and its associated LIGHT & NOISE pollution are affecting these birds.  Bright lights make city robins sing their songs much before the crack of dawn, and their songs are becoming more high-pitched to overcome the din of traffic!!!!

Hope you enjoyed learning about our Beautiful & Melodious Wildlife neighbors!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President.