Photo Description The official name for the American Robin is Turdus migratorius. (I knew that much. Not likely to forget a name like 'Turdus'.) The name 'migratorius' would imply the robin is a true migratory bird. It is not. At least not in the sense that it migrates to warmer climates in winter. My friend found that the robin's migration routes are determined by food supply, not temperatures. That is why we sometimes see them around in the coldest of wintertime. Another friend wondered why the robin cocks its head to one side when looking for worms. Robins have monocular vision. They see with each eye, independently. They get a better 'picture' by cocking their heads and concentrating on what is seen in one eye. A last and quite interesting bit of robin trivia. It is not uncommon for the American Robin to consume up to 14 feet of earth worms a day. Adding my own bit of trivia: an orphaned baby robin can make a wonderful and devoted pet. Just know that no matter how fond your pet robin is of you, if you let it fly freely (and you should), when it is old enough and the time is right to breed, it will give up the friendship in favor of finding a mate and continuing its own kind.
I was discussing the migration of the American Robin with a fellow ThriftyFun member. Together, we learned some interesting facts.
Photo Location
My back yard
That sure was interesting and informative. We've had American Robins in our backyard too, and I didn't know much about them except they're sure a pretty and unique looking bird. Incredible how many earth worms they eat! Wow. And about their eyes
being independent of each other. We sure do learn something new every day!
I LOVED how your remember their name, because of their name, *turdus*. That was funny what you said, and I'm like you, with a name like that, I won't forget it either! hehe
