The next afternoon, I found another fledgling robin on the ground, this time in my own backyard. Given that my two dogs roam the yard, I thought it best to move the young bird over the fence into the brush. The minute I picked it up, both parents, who were clearly watching over their baby from the cover of the trees, began shrieking and dive-bombing me. Luckily I only had to move the fledgling about 20 feet or I might have been nailed in the head by one of these panicky parents!

Fledglings are birds that are old enough to leave the nest, but can’t fly yet. Parent birds keep a close eye on their fledgling young, feeding them and, as I learned, protecting them from danger. I intervened in both of these cases only because the young robins were in immediate danger from domestic animals. Our pets are not part of the natural ecosystem and, collectively, they kill a lot of wildlife.

Had my dogs or the neighbor’s cat not been around, I would have left the robins on the ground where they were.  While it’s a dangerous time for young birds, the fledgling period is part of their natural life cycle.

Check out our new Gardening for Wildlife website for ideas on helping wildlife right where you live.

And speaking of parent birds on the attack, check out my recent appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” about mockingbirds. New research is showing that they are a lot smarter than we thought!

American robins are found throughout North America and are a symbol of winter’s end. The first appearance of a robin is a sure sign that spring has sprung. But did you know that in most of the lower 48 states you can find robins throughout the winter? Some are migrants from further north but some are resident birds that stay year-round. These winter-resident robins usually flock up and spend their time in wooded areas rather than lawns, so people don’t tend to notice them until they start pairing off and singing their courtship songs in spring.

Attract Robins

Robins rely on the fruits of trees and shrubs as their primary food source during the winter when worms and insects aren’t available. That’s one reason why they tend to hang out in the woods rather than on your lawn in the winter. You can attract robins to your yard in winter by providing them with fruiting plants. Some of the best berry-providers for robins include bayberry, winterberry, crabapple, cranberrybush viburnum, hawthorn, mountain ash, toyon, sumac, chokeberry and American holly.

Robin Trivia

• Robins are a kind of thrush and are related to the much less common wood thrush and hermit thrush.
• Adult male robins have the brightest red breast feathers.
• The American robin was named after the European robin even though they are not closely related.
• Robins build distinct, bowl-shaped nests out of grasses and twigs mortared with mud. Their eggs are a beautiful light blue color.
• Robins avoid areas with snow cover.

Robins Impacted by Climate Change

Analysis of 40 years of data shows many common North American birds, including robins, are already being impacted by climate change.