The American Robin is the classic backyard bird. They’re widely distributed, easily recognizable, and common visitors of feeders. They thrive in deciduous and coniferous forests, tundra, grassy and shrubby open areas, and residential parks and lawns.

American Robins are large thrushes. They have a typical thrush body shape: full, rounded bodies and long “flicking” tails. Robins are grey on top with reddish orange breasts. Their heads are black. They have discontinuous, “patchy” white eyerings. Their beaks are yellow.

Of the birds we catch and band at Creamer’s Field Migration Station, robins are among the few species that tend to be more common in the spring than in the fall. Many of the individuals we catch during spring nest in the woods around the station, and will often show physiological signs of breeding condition when we look at them up close. Historically, we have caught about 3,000 American Robins at CFMS.