Wintering Robins
(enjoying a snack in January at the UW Arboretum)
A reader sent in the following observation/question:
We had about 6-8 Robins in the backyard this a.m.? Appeared they were mostly interested in the water... But what are Robins doing around here in this cold weather?
While nearly all American Robins head southward during fall migration, there are many to be found throughout winter in Wisconsin. The UW Arboretum has a small population of robins that overwinter. At Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton, I routinely find American Robins throughout winter near sources of food (fruit berries) and natural springs. Are these birds non-migratory? Probably not. Robins we see this time of year most likely migrated from the northernmost portions of the breeding range in Canada, thus Wisconsin may be the furthest south they'll travel.
American Robin range map © BNA
Their survival here gives them the advantage of not having to fly north as far come spring. Nevertheless, populations of robins will move around throughout winter in search of food. Robins further south begin their northward migration early February, reaching the mid southern states by March. Of course, it's also possible that some robins seen around Wisconsin are non-migratory. It's hard to know for sure where the robins you're seeing are from, but they're probably not the same birds you see in your backyard in June. One thing is for sure, American Robin migration is much more complex than I've attempted to describe here.
Link: Where are American Robins now?
American Robin image © 2007 Mike McDowell
posted by Mike McDowell @ 8:41 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I live in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in a town called Plantagenet near the capitol city of Ottawa. In my 56 years I've never seen a robin in the dead of winter before. Last week 2 showed up and after a few days there was only one. It looked so pathetic huddling under our giant blue spruce in minus 30 degree Celsius weather (with windchill)that I started to put out breadcrumbs and currants. It now waits for these daily handouts and the change in it's behavior is amazing! It now sits IN the trees, not under them and almost never leaves our yard and now rewards us with song. I've started mincing apples and mixing that with breadcrumbs, much less expensive than buying berries. It's been an enriching experience.
Hi, Mike. Down the street from you, we've had six-eight robins in our backyard all winter. They hang out in our crab apple tree (occasionally with cedar waxwings) and they come to the water source every morning. I've tried to feed them grapes, too, but the only takers are naughty blue jays and cardinals. Cheers! Diane
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