SOME RARE URBAN BIRD SUCCESS STORY'S CONTINUED ......

A newly fledged Robin says hello to Manhattan from a chain fence just several yards from a busy downtown avenue, deep inside New York City.  Cell phone photo of Robin by Fritz.

THE AMERICAN ROBIN

An Urban Success Story

by : Fritz Von Ludwigslust



 Ill take Manhattan! . . . . and they have, by storm and popular demand. Possibly the most famous and loved bird in America, the robin (turdus migratorius) was once only a common transient and irregular winter visitor in inner urban Manhattan, nesting only dependably in the suburbs and the largest city parks. New Yorkers would hear their beautiful caroling in the middle of the night echoing in the moonlight in March and April all over Manhattan, but then they would all but disappear from late May until early autumn. But not anymore! The robin phenomenon started around 2003 or 2004, and it seems that any sheltered ledge or light fixture in the smallest possible garden, terrace, or rooftop is open and acceptable real estate for the red breasted thrush. Robins can be seen in almost any urban area of Manhattan now. This was not the case five years before. In a time when so many of our native urban birds, like the common nighthawk and chimney swift are disappearing, robins are not only stable but thriving in a city near you.
 Robins are approximately ten inches long, have a grayish upper body, darker, almost black head, white eye-ring, throat, and belly, and of course, their trademark brick-red breast. They can be found in every state of the continental U.S., every province of Canada, and even down into Mexico (at some time of the year). They are the most well known member of the thrush family and the closest relative of the endangered blue robin (eastern bluebird). Robins have become extremely adaptable, and live in almost any available habitat. They are the state birds of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin, and are featured on the two-dollar Canadian bill.
Their famous nests of mud and straw can be found in an astonishing list of places near human habitation. The list includes sheltered ledges, lamp-posts, busted chimneys, trellises, arbors; even statues, mailboxes and hanging flower pots. They are second only to wrens for their outrageous choice of nest sites. Their beautiful nests are so sturdy that other animals often utilize them after they are abandoned. Everything from dormice and mourning doves to common nighthawks and insects have used the robins former homes for nesting and roosting.

 A song, a story, and a legend . . . the robin has been celebrated in all forms of music and art: e.g. The Ballad of Cock-Robin, Rockin Robin, and, When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-bob-bobbin Along. They even have a color named after themrobins egg blue. Everyone knows that robins are the original harbinger of spring, and are often a childs first introduction to birds and nature. In other words, they are literally the singing, living, lawn-ornaments of America.
They are genuine kings of the turf, and must be appreciated and protected. Its truly exciting for New Yorkers to see this native bird among the starlings and house sparrows. I have watched even the most jaded Manhattanites stop to admire and marvel in disbelief that robins are living in this concrete jungle. They are regal, dashing birds that give the city much needed color and beautiful music.

Winter Melody ....  Robins frequently spend the winter deep inside Manhattan, like this male Robin eating Hawthorn berries, just a few feet from a busy major avenue.  Cell phone photo by Fritz.

 You can attract robins to nest in your area by building a nest shelf. (The instructions can be easily found online). Remember to put the shelf in a quiet sheltered area because it is not an ornament to attract unwanted attention from predators. Dont be surprised if a house finch or morning dove decides to take over your shelf. If you live near water, you may also end up with a barn swallow or a phoebe.
 Planting native fruiting and evergreen trees and shrubs, like eastern red cedar, bayberry, inkberry, hawthorn and mountain ash, both insure the survival of our true wild heritage, and also provide nesting sites, food, and shelter for many species of birds, including robins.


* For my European friends, your blackbird (turdus merula) is probably the closest relative you have to our robin. Juvenile robins look amazingly similar to your field fare (turdus pilaris), with their spotted breasts and light brick-red chests. For my friends in Asia, your brown-headed thrush (turdus chrysolaus) and dusky thrush (turdus nau.) look almost identical to our robin.