An American robin, with its bright red breast, is a common backyard bird. Learn what a robin looks like, sounds like, and see the range map.
All About the American Robin
Updated on Oct. 09, 2024
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What Does an American Robin Look Like?
Both the male and female American robin are gray-brown birds with yellow bills and reddish-orange breasts, but the male’s head is usually darker than the female’s. Robins in the eastern part of the United States show white spots in the outer corners of their tails while in flight.
- Length: 10 inches
- Wingspan: 15 inches
- Distinctive Markings: Male has orange-red breast, black head and tail, yellow bill, white around eyes and on throat. Female is duller.
- Scientific Name: Turdus migratorius
- Family: Thrush
Learn the difference between an American robin vs a European robin.
Nest and Eggs
Want robins to nest in your yard this spring? Leave them a simple nesting platform instead of a birdhouse. Robins do not nest in birdhouses.
Female robins lay three to four pastel-blue eggs in a neat deep cup nest made of mud and grass. Robins may have as many as three broods per year. Both parents help feed the chicks. Juvenile birds have a spotted breast, making them look different than the adults.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “There’s a lot of variation in how long it takes for the female robin to construct a nest. Rarely, it may take only a couple of days, but usually it’s closer to a week, and it can even be up to two weeks, especially in bad weather.
Sometimes the female robin stops working on the nest for a few days if there’s too much rain. At other times, she may pause for the opposite reason—she needs mud for the nest’s foundation and may have to wait for rain if there isn’t a muddy spot nearby.”
Fun fact: Robin’s egg blue became an iconic color thanks to Tiffany & Co.’s family jewelry boxes. Its trademarked, custom Pantone shade is No. 1837, the same year the company was founded.
What Do American Robins Eat?
You are more likely to see them looking for worms and insects on your lawn, and they frequently visit bird baths. You may not see robins as much in winter because they’re concentrated in places with lots of wild berries.
Do Robins Visit Bird Feeders?
“We live in the Poconos, and last winter we saw a robin eating suet. We’ve been feeding the birds for 35 years and have never seen this before. Can you tell us why?” asks Birds & Blooms reader JoAnn Bender of Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “American robins have a varied diet, eating anything from worms and other invertebrates to many kinds of berries and other small fruits. In winter, when the rest of their food is tough to find, their focus shifts to fruit.
When their natural food supply is depleted, birds will take advantage of whatever they can find. Individuals within a species vary in their eating habits, so not all robins will come to suet. But yours was adaptable enough to make good use of this nutritious treat.”
Learn how to attract robins to your yard or garden.
Robin Bird Song
Listen to the American robin’s song. Their loud liquid song sounds like “cheerily, cheer-up, cheerio.” You’ll often hear robins singing in the early morning.
Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Range Map and Habitat
American robins frequently show up in yards, fields, farms and woods. In spring, look for pairs of American robins hopping around on your lawn. In winter they tend to form flocks as they seek out berries.
See the range map below to learn where to find American robins throughout the year.
Next, learn more about American robin migration habits.
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
