American Robin
The American Robin is common in neighborhoods throughout the United States. Many people are familiar with their beautiful calls and brick-red color, but few have had the chance to take a look inside the nest of these interesting birds.
In late May, a pair of robins started building a nest on top of a light fixture above the back porch of my house in Seattle. It took only three days to build the cup-shaped nest – crafted of small twigs, dry grass and mud. On May 29th, the first light blue egg was laid, then one additional egg was laid each day. Once the fourth egg was laid, the female spent most of her day sitting on the nest, incubating the eggs.
In the afternoon, she was observed leaving the nest and foraging for earthworms and insects in the backyard - staying within range of the nest.
Four eggs were laid by an American Robin nesting on a light above my back porch -- protected from the rain and sun. The first two chicks hatched after 11 days of incubation by the female. A third chick hatched the next day.
This web page documents the nesting behavior of the American Robin in Seattle, Washington.
Turdus migratorius
Nesting Behavior
