American Robin (Turdus migratorius)


Group	Thrushes
Code	ABPBJ20170
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Turdidae
Author	Linnaeus, 1766
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	SM (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Mixed Forested/Nonforested or Nonforested Landscapes

1st alternative:
      (Any Upland Deciduous (Regen or Sap or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Northern Hardwoods (Regen or Sap or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Upland Hardwoods (Regen or Sap or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Any Lowland Deciduous (Regen or Sap or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Lowland Hardwoods (Regen or Sap or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or Fields/Pastures
   containing:
      Mast
   adjacent to:
      Edge

2nd alternative:
      Grass
      or Upland Brush
      or Savanna
      or Residential
   containing:
      Mast

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	-
Paper Birch	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	-
Oak	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Assorted Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Northern Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Bottomland Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Grass, Upland Brush, Savanna, Fields/Pastures, Residential
Special Features	Mast, Edges

view size class definitions

Literature:

Ruhl, D. C. 1991. American Robin. Pages 358-359 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: This species is abundant in a wide variety of habitats, being found in nearly all terrestrial areas except open wetlands. Currently, its typical habitat is residential areas where there are shade trees for nesting and lawns and fruiting shrubs for feeding. It can also flourish, however, in wild areas, such as forest edges and along streams and lakes, as long as food is plentiful.

Robins usually nest in trees, either deciduous or coniferous, but they will also adopt man-made structures as nest sites. Nests have been reported on buildings, bridges, fenceposts, or other horizontal surfaces. Concealment and inaccessibility to predators do not seem to be factors in nest-building, as nests have been found on brush heaps, low stones, and even on the ground.

Those individuals that remain in the state through the winter months retire to woodlands, swamps, or thickets, or wherever adequate shelter and food, such as berries, are available.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Open woodlands and woodland edges and clearings, fields, orchards, shade trees in residential areas. Densities are frequently greater in residential areas than in the wild, though urban populations may not be self-supporting. Wintering: Frequents sheltered wooded areas more than open exposed pasturelands. Roosts among evergreens in swamps and feeds on persistent wild and cultivated fruits.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Cities, towns, lawns, farmland, forests; in winter, berry-bearing trees. Over most of continent, summers wherever there are trees for nest sites and mud for nest material. In winter, flocks gather in wooded areas where trees or shrubs have good crops of berries.

Diet: Mostly insects, berries, earthworms. In early summer, insects make up majority of diet; also feeds on many earthworms, snails, spiders, other invertebrates. Feeds heavily on fruit, especially in winter (fruit accounts for perhaps 60% of diet year-round); mainly wild berries, also some cultivated fruits. Young are fed mostly on insects and earthworms.

Nest: Female does most of the nest building with some help from male. Site is on horizontal branch of tree or shrub usually 5-25 feet above ground, rarely on ground or up to 70 feet high; also nests on ledges of houses, barns, bridges. Nest is a cup of grasses, twigs, debris, worked into solid foundation of mud, lined with fine grasses and plant fibers.