Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 23, 1994 TAG: 9401220021
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
While small signs of spring may be everywhere, it takes the sight of a robin to melt winter away. While that may seem to be a far-off reality, do not be surprised if the robins begin to appear on your lawn by the end of the month. Usually by late January, especially during a thaw, robins reappear. I have found them here as early as Jan. 26 during a mid-winter thaw.
Everyone knows a robin. It is the one bird most of us can identify, and is probably the first bird that children learn to recognize. Its distinctive brick-red breast and habit of living side by side with man make the robin a common sight. This cheery little bird lives in just about every corner of North America. It seems to adapt to man and our intrusions better than most, and today there are more robins around than ever before.
Many local robins choose to stay in our area throughout the winter months, seeking refuge in protected wooded areas. At the first sign of a thaw they begin to come out of the sheltered areas to feed on earthworms.
As the ground thaws in the spring, our lawns become a wonderful food source for hungry birds. Robins, like most birds, have monocular vision. Each eye is used independently, and in order to see an object clearly the bird must cock its head to one side close to the ground. It is watching for movement so it can grab the worm with its pointed beak.
Also around the first thaw robins that flew south for the winter begin returning in large numbers. The males return first and immediately establish their territories for feeding and courtship. The females follow about 10 days later. Then an intense rivalry between the males begins. During this time the male robins will fiercely attack all other male robins that trespass on their territory.
Among the earliest of our local songbirds to nest, robins often set up housekeeping before the last of our winter weather hits. Usually the chosen site is in the branches of an evergreen tree, which provide protection from late winter storms. Later nests may be in trees as well, although it is not uncommon for robins to choose a porch, barn or rooftop for their homes.
Both the male and the female are involved in the construction, with the male collecting the building materials and the female doing the actual construction. She weaves grass and twigs to form an oblong nest and molds the inside with a layer of mud to form a small cup. The inside is lined with fine grass.
As soon as the task of nest building is completed she lays from three to five eggs. Incubation begins after the second egg, and while the female sits on her nest the male stands guard.
After about two weeks the eggs hatch, and the real work begins. Hatchlings spend about 14 days in the nest, and the parents devote all of their time to keeping them fed. Growing robins eat a lot of food - some estimate about 14 feet of earthworms a day! Both parents are kept busy flying back and forth to their nestlings with insects, worms and grubs.
Once the young fledge, the female leaves them to establish another nest and begin her next brood. Meanwhile the male watches over the youngsters. Immature robins are too weak to fly well and are at the mercy of a variety of predators. So the male remains with his brood until they can fend for themselves.
By mid-August the second robin family is out of the nest. Now the robins go to the fields and woodlands to feed on the ripening berries.
There seems to be no clear migration pattern for these birds. In autumn robins begin to form migrating flocks, and some will fly as far south as Mexico. Others choose to remain in our area, retreating to the woods where they can find plenty of fruits and berries.
Patricia Held will respond to readers' questions on the plant and animal wildlife in the region. Mail inquiries to: Patricia Held, P.O. Box 65, Goode, Va. 24556.
Patricia Held is a Bedford County free-lance writer and author specializing in natural history.
by CNB