The annual rite of looking for the first robin of spring is both a silly tradition and a sad commentary on the knowledge that most Americans have about their environment. While residents of the northern States may be justified in connecting robin sightings with the onset of spring, this common member of the thrush family can be found year-round throughout most of the country. What non-naturalists actually notice is the robin's dietary shift in early spring.
Robins are very common across central and southern latitudes of North America during the winter months; in fact, they often roost and travel about in huge flocks. During this season they retreat to wetland thickets, juniper glades and wooded stream valleys, where they find enough insects and berries to sustain them. Come March, as the soil thaws, they return to suburban lawns and parks to feast on earthworms, drawing the attention of winter-weary humans.
Robins are, indeed, hardy birds. They begin to nest earlier than most songbirds and tend to be more active in the morning chill and dusky hours than many other species. In Colorado, we encounter them at all elevations and, in summer, they are one of the more common birds on the alpine tundra. They surely don't need the promise of warm weather to draw them northward.
