What in the World are the Robins Still Doing Here?

Why am I seeing robins lately (over the last week) right after we had our big 18 inch snowfall (very unusual for Maryland). I thought they had all gone South for the winter. I hadn't seen any for weeks, and then all of a sudden I saw several of them over a week's time. A few years ago I also saw a bunch of robins after a snowfall - I guessed they were migrating, but I thought they had already left a long time ago. And what can they eat when the ground is covered in snow? Thanks! Greenbelt, MD

The America Robin (Turdus migratorius) does migrate but the birds that summer in Canada may migrate to parts of Maryland and mid-Michigan (where I live) and think that’s far enough. If you look at the range map you’ll see that there are winter populations of Robins in most states year round. Robins are surprisingly hardy birds, capable of surviving temperatures well below zero. But that doesn’t mean sightings are common.

After nesting season has ended, they usually form large nomadic groups that roost at night in the woods. Their diet changes from mostly worms and insects to fruit, nuts and berries. I’ve seen them devouring our crab apples, Mountain Ash tree berries, and sometimes under my feeders looking for nuts. They also appreciate open water in the winter. If you have a pond or heated birdbath they may show up for afternoon drinks.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about birds, but there is a way to help personally. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event in February that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent and in Hawaii.[1] Anyone can participate and I’ll be posting more information on our Wild Birds Unlimited website and blog in the future.

From the past bird counts, researchers at Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology have an unprecedented wealth of data to create a snapshot of bird distribution and the effects of weather. BirdScope magazine wrote “food availability may be the primary factor influencing some species’ winter ranges, but snow cover may also play a role. Results from the GBBC and other continent-wide monitoring projects show that American Robins overwinter across North America in a patchy mosaic, primarily reflecting their opportunity to forage on fruits and berries. When snow cover is high and food is difficult to find, American Robins move farther south. When snow cover is low and food is more readily available, they seem to overwinter in northern locales in higher numbers.” [2]

I hope that helped. Write back any time. You can send questions to my e-mail at bloubird@gmail.com, visit our web page at http://lansing.wbu.com/, check out our daily blog at http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/, keep up with what I'm doing from twitter at http://twitter.com/birdsunlimited, and become a fan of our Wild Birds Unlimited Mid-Michigan Facebook page at http://tiny.cc/QmIv5. There is also a Wild Birds Unlimited store in Gambrills, Maryland if you need some more personal help with your backyard bird feeding. In the mean time, stay warm!

References:

1. Wild Birds Unlimited helps sponsor the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

2. Malone, S., Cerretani, J. and Kelling, S. 2000.

Birds and Snow. Birdscope, Volume 14, Number 3: 6,7.