Many backyard birders are surprised to see this traditional “herald of spring” hopping about in the depths of winter. Although many of our robins do migrate (hence the species name migratorius), an increasing number of these red-breasted songsters are passing the winter in Massachusetts each year. Winter robins rely on berries and other small fruits to survive the winter, so if you’d like to attract them to your yard, consider planting more native fruiting plants.
Learn more about how robins survive the cold months of winter on our website, and enjoy these five lovely photos of robins from past years of our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.
American robin © Richard Antinarelli
American robin in an American holly © Megan O’Leary
American robin in a cedar tree © Jane Parker
American robin eating berries © Lee Fortier
American robin eating berries © Elizabeth Fabiano
Each year, around the first week of January , I have a huge flock (100+) of Robins descend onto my property to devour every berry off my Holly trees. What concerns me is that the number has seemed to wane over the past several years. Is the population decreasing?
I always thought these to be Canadian Robins as they seemed a bit larger. Are they not?