Tuesday 1 July 2008 - Learning About Robins

There was a little confusion with out ATV robins' nest over why the largest robin chick seems to be the only one remaining.  If there was a remaining chick, not willing to become a fledgling, one would expect it to be the smallest, wouldn't one?

Having raised the question, it was time for some research.  I've heard that in the grand scheme of things there are some young that will knock the others from the nest so that only the most fit survives.  Surely something as beloved as a robin could not be capable of such unhumanlike behavior?

Much to my relief, I was right -- Robins are not so barbaric.  But I did learn some things.  For example, I didn't know that most robins will have 2 nests and 2 families in a single season, and they can overlap.  I wonder if they do that in Alaska where we have shorter summers and less wonderful placement for nests out here on the tundra?  I suppose it would make more sense, really -- less chance of survival, you would want to hedge the odds in your favor as a parent.  And certainly a 14 day growing up period from hatching to fledgling is not too long even for the short Alaskan summer.

Here are links to a couple of robin blogs (one even has a lot of video links).  They made me wish we had done better documentation.  I want to say there is always next year but since my call at the mission ends abruptly on August 27th, I have no idea where we will be or what birds might live near us next summer.

 http://www.howpeg.com/robinblog2005/
 http://www.i-pets.com/rpet19.html