Quick answers
| Question | Answer | Scope | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs per nest | Four eggs per clutch on average, and a female can raise two or even three clutches in a year. | American robin; Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas) | NPS, Big Thicket National Preserve | |
| Breeding season | Early April to late August. | American robin; Presidio of San Francisco (California) | NPS, Presidio of San Francisco | |
| What they eat | Earthworms, caterpillars, snails and other small invertebrates, plus fruit, berries and seeds. | American robin; Presidio of San Francisco (California) and Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas) | NPS, Presidio of San Francisco; NPS, Big Thicket National Preserve | |
| Do they migrate? | Not everywhere. Robins are found all year in most of the contiguous United States, and in most of Canada and Alaska during the summer months. | American robin across North America; Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas) | NPS, Big Thicket National Preserve | |
| Where they spend winter | Along the Mississippi in Minnesota, robins winter in northern cedar bogs, wetlands and riverside thickets close to where they nest, not in the south. | American robin; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Minnesota) | NPS, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area | |
| Where they nest | Cups of grass and mud, usually on tree branches or in the fork of a tree; in towns also on building ledges or under eaves. | American robin; Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas) and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Minnesota) | NPS, Big Thicket National Preserve; NPS, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area | |
| Where they live | Suburban lawns, open forests and city parks. | American robin; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Minnesota) | NPS, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area |
In the sources’ own words
Eggs per nest
National Park Service, Big Thicket National Preserve, American Robin“Females lay an average of four eggs per clutch but can raise two or even three clutches in a year.”
Scope: American robin; Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas)
Breeding season
National Park Service, Presidio of San Francisco, American Robin“Breeding season is from early April to late August.”
Scope: American robin; Presidio of San Francisco (California)
What they eat
National Park Service, Presidio of San Francisco, American Robin“The American Robin eats earthworms, caterpillars, snails, fruit, berries, and seeds.”
National Park Service, Big Thicket National Preserve, American Robin“They eat berries and insects, including earthworms and other small invertebrates.”
Scope: American robin; Presidio of San Francisco (California) and Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas)
Do they migrate?
National Park Service, Big Thicket National Preserve, American Robin“They are found year-round in most of the contiguous United States and can be found throughout most of Canada and Alaska during the summer months.”
Scope: American robin across North America; Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas)
Where they spend winter
National Park Service, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, American Robin“…robins spend their winters not in some warm southern region but in northern cedar bogs, wetlands, and riverside thickets close to their nesting areas.”
Scope: American robin; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Minnesota)
Where they nest
National Park Service, Big Thicket National Preserve, American Robin“Robins usually build nests on tree branches, but in more urban areas they may build nests on the ledges of buildings.”
National Park Service, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, American Robin“Nests are well-formed cups of grasses and mud, often found under eaves of buildings or in a fork of a tree.”
Scope: American robin; Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas) and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Minnesota)
Where they live
National Park Service, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, American Robin“Habitat: Suburban lawns, open forests, city parks.”
Scope: American robin; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Minnesota)
What these sources do not say
- How long robins live, how big they are or how fast they fly. None of the park pages here says.
- Anything about the European robin, which is a different bird.