Bald eagles and an owl named “Woodsy” are birds that have become symbols of ecological recovery. Perhaps a truer avian representative of the post-World War II environmental movement is the bird which played an integral role in starting it – the robin.
Though the robin’s connection to a raised environmental awareness has largely been forgotten, the bird, itself is still immensely popular, particularly at this time of year. In spring and for part of the summer, the sound of singing robins is heard across the state. This orange- breasted, clear-singing bird – which is technically known as the American robin – has been honored in songs and poetry for generations as a harbinger of spring. It is the state bird of Michigan, Virginia, Connecticut and Wisconsin.
The robin’s ability to adapt to a variety of habitats is one reason the bird has increased visibility and popularity with humans. In spring and summer, it can be seen in backyards, parks and other urban and rural environments feeding on earthworms, insects, berries and an assortment of wild and cultivated fruit.
This bird is a frequent sight throughout much of the U.S. but that wasn’t always the case. Sixty years ago, a noticeable reduction of robins in some areas of the country helped bring about a landmark change in environmental thinking. A study in Michigan in the 1950s reported a declining number of robins in areas where elm trees were being sprayed with the pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane – more commonly known as DDT. Elms were being sprayed to eradicate beetles that carried Dutch elm disease. After leaves from the sprayed trees fell, earthworms fed among the leaf litter and the DDT entered their bodies. When these worms were eaten by robins, DDT traveled to the birds and either killed the robins or concentrated in reproductive organs and prevented them from reproducing.
This research in Michigan gave former U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Rachel Carson the impetus to write “Silent Spring” in 1962. The environmental findings and warnings presented in this book, which some have called “the most influential book of the 20 th century,” played a major role in shifting the nation’s viewpoint on ecological matters.
Today robins are common in backyards in Missouri and elsewhere around the country.
Females begin building cup-shaped nests in late March or April. Three to five blue-green eggs are laid in the nest and incubated by the female for approximately 14 days. Offspring are usually ready to fly from the nest in about 15 days. Robins usually have two to three broods per year.
Because robins can be found in Missouri throughout the year, the connection of the coming of spring with the robin’s return is somewhat incorrect in this region – but not entirely. In winter, robins gather in huge flocks, particularly in the southern part of the state where resident robins are joined by birds that have traveled from colder regions in the north. Because of these large flocks, robins are abundant in southern Missouri during winter but, ironically, they are seen less frequently during winter than in warmer months. That’s because they’re clumped together in large flocks at communal roosting sites instead of spread out in yards across the state.
When these large flocks break up in spring because of courtship and mating routines, robins begin to be seen and heard frequently throughout the state. So, while robins may not be returning here from warm, southerly states; their reappearance in your backyard from their winter roosting sites still denotes a change of seasons.
If you’d like to make your yard more “robin-friendly,” you can include an area of turned soil (garden, flower bed, etc.) where the birds can easily get worms and also get mud for nest- building. Robins will often use nesting “shelves,” which can be simple boards attached under the eaves of a house, or an out-building. Planting native berry-producing bushes or trees will also attract robins. Bird baths are also an attractant.
You can learn more about robins and other Missouri birds at mdc.mo.gov.
Francis Skalicky is the media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s
Southwest Region. For more information about conservation issues, call 417-895-6880.
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