The American Robin is 25–28 cm (10–11 in) long. The male has a grey head and upper body, and rusty orange colored under parts, with a black streaked white chin and a white ring around the eye. During the breeding season, the adult males grow distinctive black feathers on their heads; after the breeding season they lose this eye-catching plumage.
	photo by http://www.naturespicsonline.com/licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike2.5 License.

Distribution  (American Robin Facts)

This bird breeds throughout Canada and the United States. While Robins occasionally over winter in the northern part of the United States and southern Canada, most winter in the southern parts of the breeding range and beyond, from the southern U.S.A. to Guatemala. Most depart south by the end of August and begin to return north in February and March. (Exact dates vary with latitude and climate, of course.)

Habitat

The American Robin's habitat includes farmland, forests, cities and towns.

American Robin Food  (American Robin Facts)

American Robin food is the typical thrush mixture consisting largely of insects and earthworms. American Robin food also consists of some berries, including those of the black cherry tree; the robins will fly in especially to feed on the black cherries during the period when they ripen.

Robins are frequently seen running across lawns, picking up earthworms by sight. In fact, the running and stopping behavior is a distinguishing characteristic.

Song and calls of the American Robin

The American Robin, like many thrushes, has a beautiful and complex song, and in contrast to other thrushes, its song is almost continuous. Its song is commonly described as a cheerily carol song. The song is made of discrete units, often repeated, and spliced together into a string with brief pauses in between. The song varies regionally, and its style varies by time of day.

The Robins will often be one of the last songbirds you will hear singing at dusk and they will be one of the first birds you will hear singing in the mornings throughout the spring and summer. They will often start singing just before day light.

In addition to its song, the American Robin has a number of calls used for communicating specific information. When a ground predator approaches but does not directly threaten, Robins will make a PEEK!! tut tut tut tut... warning call. When a nest or Robin is being directly threatened, another call is used, which sounds like a horse's whinny. Even during nesting season, when Robins exhibit mostly competitive and territorial behavior, they may still band together to drive away a predator.

Robins also make a very high-pitched sound when a hawk or other bird of prey is seen; other robins will repeat the sound, seek cover, and stop moving. During the colder parts of the year, the American Robin gathers in flocks around food sources, and there is yet another call that is heard in such flocks.

More American Robin Facts:

Robin Nesting

As with many migratory birds, the male Robins return to the summer breeding grounds before the females and compete with each other for nesting sites. The females then select mates based on the males' songs, plumage, and territory quality. The females build the Robin nest and lay three or four blue Robin eggs in the lined cup.
	Robin nest with four Robin eggs (the Robin nest is approximately 5 inches  across) photo licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License

Incubation is done  almost entirely by the female and takes 11-14 days for the eggs to hatch. with another 15–16 days to fledgling. Two broods in a season are common. The adult male American Robin looks after the fledged Robin chicks while the female incubates her second clutch.
	Same Robin nest with four baby Robin chicks.  photo licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License