Often referred to as the Red Robin, this sociable beauty has become a part of most gardens in North America. What a wonderful way to start the day listening to the song of the robin at daybreak.

Robins were actually quite rare when settlers first came to the United States. Their relatives, the family of thrushes, all lived in the forests. However, the robin was a specialized bird and stayed near the clearings among the trees. As the settlers moved west, the robins joined them and became the ubiquitous symbol of the suburban backyard wildlife across the entire United States and Canada. Now most robins prefer the suburban lifestyle with the evenly manicured yards and openly spaced trees.

These birds eat different types of food depending on the time of day. Earthworms are their favorite food early in the day and prefer fruit later on. Because they forage for insects and worms mostly on lawns, they are vulnerable to pesticide poisoning. You can tempt them to dinner by placing fruit such as softened dried raisins on tray feeders or planting fruiting shrubs to attract more of them to your backyard garden. Have you ever seen a drunken robin? They love overripe fruit and will ingest it until they are staggering drunk!

As always, I must stress the importance of Water. Robins are never happier than when splashing, bathing and drinking in a birdbath. What a treat to watch! This is an absolute must year round so be sure to have a heated birdbath.

The nest is usually placed in the crotch of a tree or shrub. It is made of grasses, a middle layer of mud, and then lined with fine grasses. After breeding season, robins flock together and go to large communal roosts at night. This habit continues from fall through winter.