By Creston School Student Lila Tarrant
Hello, my name is Lila. I have loved birds since I was about five or six. I am nine now, and I am going to write about the American Robin! We have a lot of robins in our backyard, and I have been watching them all summer!
Did you know? Robins are part of the Thrush family. Their diet changes depending on the time of day; they usually eat earthworms in the morning and some fruits in the afternoon. When young robins leave the nest, they are slightly smaller than their parents, but they can look the same size. They have speckled white on their face and breast. Young robins do not have the orange-red breast color of their parents. While most robins migrate, others stay the winter, even in Montana.
When I watch robins I have noticed how they hop, stop, and raise their chests up. I figured out they are actually looking for earthworms for a snack or to feed their chicks. The way I would describe the sound of the robin’s song is “chirp-up chirp-up” then “put put put put.” I have noticed that when robins sing, they wave their tail feathers up and down.
This year I watched a family of young robins learning to fly in our garden. Their flying was a short distance and kind of out of control. It probably takes a couple of days for them to learn right. Robins are sometimes thieves and steal our fruit from our strawberry patch. They also chase each other to play.
One day in May, sadly, a bird hit our living room window. I ran out and saw a young robin on its stomach with its wings stretched out. So I went closer, and I saw it breathing! I went inside and got my dad and told him, “We have to move the bird, so our dogs don’t get him!” So we made a plan and got gloves for me.
Back at the bird, I went closer and carefully scooped it up and walked out of our fence and away from our dogs. I placed it under a mini tree as shelter and protection from predators. I went inside my house and watched through the window with binoculars to see if it was ok. Before bedtime we checked on it one last time, and the bird was gone! Hopefully it survived and flew away to its family. It was exciting for me to hold it and probably save a bird!
What a cool bird an American Robin is! I love its colored belly and cheerful song. I hope you like my article, and I hope you notice robins and they make you feel happy too!
Editor’s Note: For more information on helping stunned birds, see https://www.audubon.org/magazine/you-found-bird-crashed-window-now-what.
Attention potential BOM authors: Want to share your bird adventures or fascinating observations? Send your submissions our way at bom@flatheadaudubon.org!
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