Robins — one of the sweetest songbirds, found all around the 50 states fluting and chirping with the spring season.
It is commonly found munching and hopping around the lawns, fields, forests, and in your backyard too.
This beautiful songbird with its signature orange breast, speckled feathers in muted color tones, measuring around 8″ to 11″ and weighing around 16 to 22g, is the first bird you see with the arrival of spring.
Even people have been seen to be extremely excited about their return.
After the lonely and silent winters and folks are restless to see the crab apple trees loaded with singing and munching Robins on the fresh fruits, they kind of compete about who sees the first Robin back.
Is a Robin aggressive?
Robins are not afraid of humans and are considered the gardeners’ friendly birds due to their digging activity as they find their terrestrial snacks (earthworms) in the soil.
But they are reported to behave aggressively and territorial when it comes to breeding season.
They even return to the same area after a temporary migration to the nearest woodlands in winters and falls to discover fresh food supplies.
Robins have been reported fiercely attacking the other male competitors trying to occupy or stray into their kingdom.
These territorial disputes often result in fatalities of the 10% of juvenile Robins.
They have even been noticed striking fiercely into the glass windows, assuming the shadow as their competitor.
So yes, robins can be aggressive when they need to
Do Robins Stay In The Same Territory?
Robins keep the same territory throughout the year even they return to the same grounds in the summer and spring seasons for breeding and hatching.
Temporary migration to the nearest woodlands also gives them an advantage of early access to the breeding grounds.
Male Robins return to their breeding grounds a few days before the female and sing vigorously, which is an obvious sign of proclaiming their territory.
Female Robin determines the best possible shelter area as their nest site that could be the safest from predators during the hatching and feeding period.
Anything could be the best place for Robin’s nesting — discarded kettles, abandoned cartons, wall crevices, trees, balcony flower pots, kids sliders, hats, bristles of an upturned broom, or any sheltered place that looks safer to the female Robin.
Why Are Robins So Territorial?
Robins defend their territory pretty aggressively.
They raise 1 to 3 broods per year in clutches of 4 to 6 eggs, and they build a new nest for each brood every time in the same territory.
Robins may choose to nest anywhere from wonderful to weird places.
The female passionately builds its nest pretty artistically inside out in a cup shape with multiple assortments of natural materials such as mud (the most importantly), grasses, human refuses, twigs, animal hair, dead leaves, moss, etc.
Once they’ve found a perfect place for nesting and breeding, they stay in the same territory throughout the year — it is their empire, and Robins would never tolerate the occupation of their kingdom.
They fiercely attack and kill their competitor male.
These fiery little birds roost vigorously to announce their presence back in their territory.
Wrapping Up
Robins are the most common songbird with a distinctive orange breast and speckled feathers in muted color tones, measuring around 8″ to 11″ and weighing around 16 to 22g.
It is pretty possessive about its territory but temporarily migrates during the winter season, and again it is the first bird you see back with the arrival of spring.
Robins are found in all states of America except Hawaii.
It temporarily migrates to the nearest lands close to the open waters of its nesting territory, discovering plentiful food and sunbathing.
Yes, it loves sunbathing with puffed-up feathers on its heads, backs to the sun, expanded tail feathers, and stretched-out wings to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight to its plumage.
What a foodie bird Robins are.
The primary motivation for its migration is basically food sourcing.
They live in flocks during the winters, which facilitates their food sourcing for them. Its usual favorite food includes earthworms, insects, spiders, terrestrial invertebrates, berries, fresh fruit, and seeds that are unavailable on freezing grounds.
But no matter what, their revert in the same territory is assured.
When Robins return to its homeland (nests) during the summer and spring, it defends its territory aggressively, quite similar to humans as we are sensitive and possessive about our homes.
Where Do Robins Go In The Winter?
Some associate it with their escape from the weather when Robins are not commonly visible during the winter and falls.
Robins are sturdy birds, they do somehow follow nomadic patterns over the seasons, but it is due to following bountiful food sources.
They don’t escape the winter bite; they are always looking for fresh food supplies.
Still, they do not move far away from their nests and remain in the nearest areas around woodlands or open water sources with plentiful berries and fruits.
Because their favorite earthworms are underneath the frozen ground
When temperature rises and soil begins to soften, earthworms start coming out of the soil where hungry Robins are ready to snatch them.
