American+Robin

=__**Physical Appearance**__= Most of the American Robins are 23–28 centimeters (10–11 in) long and have a wingspan ranging from 31–41 centimeters (12.2–16 in). The average wieght of a robin is about 77 grams (2.7 oz). The head varies from jet black to gray, with white eye arcs .The throat is white with black streaks, and the belly and undertail are white. The Robin has a brown back and a reddish-orange breast, varying from a rich red maroon to peachy orange. The beak is mainly yellow with a little dark and the legs and feeet are brown. == =__**Behavior**__= The American Robin is active mostly during the day. In winter it assembles in large flocks at night to roost in trees in secluded swamps or dense vegetation. The flocks break up during the day when the birds feed on fruits and berries. In summer, the Robin defends its breeding territory and is less social. It hunts visually not by hearing =__**Diet**__= 40% of there diet consists of invertebrates, such as beetle grubs, caterpillars and grasshoppers, and the other part of the diet consists of wild and cultivated fruits and berries. It primarly eats soft-bodied invertebrates, and finds worms by sight, pouncing on them and then pulling them up. Nestlings are fed mainly on worms and other soft-bodied animal prey. In some areas, Robins, feed on beaches, taking insects and small mollusks. It is mostly seen running across lawns, picking up earthworms by sight. =__**Threats**__= Baby Robins and eggs are a prey for squirrels, snakes, and some birds, such as Blue Jays, Common Grackles, American Crows and Common Ravens. Adults are primarily eaten by hawks, cats and larger snakes, the American Robin is able to remain vigilant and watch other flock members for reactions to predators. The American Robin is known to be a rejecter of cowbird eggs, so brood parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird is rare. The parasite's chick does not normally survive to fledging. =__**For Culture**__= The American Robin is in Native American mythology. The story of how the robin got its red breast by fanning the dying flames of a campfire to save a Native American man and a boy is is similar to the European Robin. =__**Other**__= In the south they were hunted by people for food.Many of the robins were sent to markets where the fat flesh. In general, however, the robin has benefited from its association with humans. They were helped because of the modern civilization as the building helped give them some nesting area and the arid west gives them the more nesting ground because irrigation and suburban lawns have provided alot moist grassland. =__** Sources **__= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin [] []

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