where did all the robins go !!!!!

jr 2 · Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:23 am

haven't seen a robin here in southern ohio since around the first of august;; do they migrate north after their babies fledge ????? jr2

Louise Chambers · Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:33 am

Some birds don't make long migrations, but shift south a bit for the winter months - robins do, bluebirds do. Lots of robins, huge flocks at time, in FL and TX in winter months, feeding on berries like yaupon holly. Robins that nest further north, say Canada, winter in US - we always found a few robins on our Christmas bird count with Audubon group in Erie. Maybe you are noticing the gap time between nesting robins moving south, before more northern robins arrive for the winter months.

James Strickland FL · Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:11 pm

I have seen them just a few time here in South Fl. Wish they were here every year.

Louise Chambers · Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:46 pm

James, one year I was down in Everglades area around Christmas, there were huge flocks of robins streaming through the air - had never before or since seen so many robins in one place.

flyin-lowe · Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:33 am

I have noticed over the last 5 -10 years that the robins migrate less and less out of Indiana. They used to leave in the late fall and then show back up in the spring. Every year they stay later and later and get back earlier. Last year there were still robins here in January. By the end of February first of March they were back. Before too long I don't think they will migrate south at all. The Canadian geese have done the same thing. They are here year round now.

RC Moser · Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:36 am

also see Robins and Cedar waxwings feed on Cedar berries. No shortage of Cedar trees in the midwest and south. I see large number of birds in the winter time in cedar trees feeding on the little blue berry the some cedars produce. Even hear in central OK majority of Robins migrate into Texas for couple months in dead of winter IMO.

Archer · Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:01 pm

Saw a large flocks of robins in southern Manitoba this week, no doubt migrating through. Its a good thing too as we received our first snow of the year in the last couple of days. It will all melt soon but a good message for any stragglers to get out of town.

Donnie Hurdt MN · Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:15 pm

There are a lot of them around here they have stripped all edible berries off of everything that has them. Next spring the Early Robins and Bluebirds will be going hungry when we get a late spring snow.

Rick Meyer · Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:11 pm

I actually have a Robin roost area just behind my house in a cedar forest during the summer. Every evening Robins fly in from every compass direction and drop like rocks out of the sky into the trees.....its quite a scene.

Carlton · Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:00 am

In MD and DE our summer robins seem to form loose flocks in August and Sept. and migrate probably to the Carolinas. Then, we get some larger robins that come down from Canada and New England and spend the winter here feeding on holly berries. They LOVE the deciduous Winterberry Holly. During very frigid spells in the winter they can most often be found in deciduous woods where the trees help to break the wind. They are very fond of the American Holly berries too.

jr 2 · Sun Oct 07, 2012 7:27 pm

seen the first robins here yesterday since the first of august;jr2

Matt F. · Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:36 pm

Some years back, I began noticing Robins staying here year round.
At first, I thought they were small numbers of the migrating Robins, that for whatever reason, decided to stay here instead of returning north.
I quickly learned that there are 2 subspecies of the American Robin.
Eastern American Robins, which are our migrating winter guests, and the Southern American Robins, which are our year round residents.
I have noticed increasing numbers of the southern subspecies in recent years, in my immediate area.