Urban Wildlife Watch - Robins are building nests

I was reading my MDC Natural Events Calendar and for today it reads “Robins and other backyard birds begin making nests”. Robins are very common urban wildlife habitants. I remember hearing as a child “if you see or hear the Robin sing, then you know it is spring.”

These birds do very well in city areas and are very common spring time and summer residents of urban areas.

This time of year, when they are building nests, you can catch them gathering twigs from fallen bushes and little trees. Shorts grasses are their ideal habitat, so they love lawns. Backyards and city parks are offer lots of lawns for them to occupy and that may another reason why they do so well in urban and suburban areas. Prior to mating, several male and female robins gather on open lawns. I suspect the males are displaying to attract females.

Robins are nest builders. They prefer building nest in the bend of a medium or small tree. The bend is that point where a branch comes off from the main trunk. The nests aren’t very big, about the size of a large cereal bowl, but not as large as a salad or serving bowl. The other neat thing about robins – they have the most beautifully colored eggs – a turquoise blue.

After young hatch free the female will discard the shell pieces, so you may be able to find some on the ground nearby if you know where a robin’s nest is.When the young arrive, lawns are perfect hunting grounds for nutritious juicy worms to feed the young. And females usually have 2 broods of young.

Keep your eyes open!