American robin

Turdus migratorius · The American robin is a migratory thrush with a reddish-orange breast that lives across North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico.

Also called Migratory Thrush.

American robin
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
American robin
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
American robin
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyTurdidae
GenusTurdus
SpeciesTurdus migratorius

Where it lives

Woods, lawns and towns from Alaska and Canada to Mexico.

Fun facts

  • Robins can find earthworms hidden underground just by using their hearing.
  • Robins that feast on fermented Pyracantha berries can act drunk, even falling over while they walk.
  • The American robin is the most abundant landbird in North America, with about 370 million individuals.
  • Robin parents keep the nest clean by carrying away the waste of their chicks, which comes out as a solid white clump.

Play it

The American robin was the creature in Birder on October 25, 2026. Can you identify tomorrow's from its photos? Every day brings a new creature to place from kingdom to genus, map and name.

Play today's creature or replay a past daily

Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).