The American Robin, a widespread and easily recognized songbird across North America, holds a unique place in many landscapes, from suburban lawns to wild woodlands. Their presence often signals the changing seasons, particularly the arrival of spring. Observing their mating rituals provides insight into behaviors dedicated to reproduction.
Attracting a Mate and Forming a Pair
The mating season for American Robins begins in early spring, from April through July. Male robins arrive at breeding grounds before females, establishing and defending territories, which can be less than an acre. They use their melodious and powerful songs to attract females and signal their claim to a nesting area.
Female robins are selective when choosing a mate, basing their preference on the male’s song quality, plumage vibrancy, and territory quality, including access to food and suitable nesting sites. Once a female selects a male, the pair bond strengthens through courtship behaviors. This includes the male offering food to the female, known as courtship feeding, which helps her gain weight for egg production.
Nest Building and Egg Laying
After a pair bond forms, nest construction begins in late March or early April. The female robin undertakes most of the nest building, though the male may assist by bringing materials. Nests are located on horizontal branches of trees or shrubs, between 5 to 25 feet above the ground, but can also be found on ledges of buildings, gutters, or old teapots.
The female constructs a cup-shaped nest, using a foundation of grass, twigs, and other debris, which is then reinforced with mud. This mud acts like a cement, holding the structure together, and is gathered from puddles or earthworm castings. The interior is lined with fine, dry grasses and plant fibers, sometimes including feathers or hair, to create a soft and insulated space.
Following nest completion, the female lays one bright, unmarked blue egg per day. A robin’s clutch consists of three to five eggs, though clutches of two or four are common. Egg laying is physically demanding, and females consume earthworms in the morning for energy.
Raising the Young
The female robin incubates the eggs for about 12 to 14 days from the time the last egg is laid. She maintains a consistent temperature for the eggs, around 104 degrees Fahrenheit, by pressing a specialized brood patch on her belly. The eggs hatch in the order they were laid, with the nestlings emerging blind and featherless.
Both parents participate in feeding the nestlings, delivering food up to 40 times a day. The diet of the young consists of insects and worms, initially regurgitated and later delivered whole. Nestlings grow rapidly, consuming large amounts of food, with each chick eating its own weight in food daily.
Young robins remain in the nest for 13 days before fledging, or leaving the nest. After fledging, both parents continue to care for and feed the young for several more days, up to three weeks. Robins often raise multiple broods within a single breeding season, two or even three, with the male taking over the care of the first fledglings while the female prepares for a new clutch.