AMERICAN ROBIN 



Male— Olive-gray above ; head black ; throat white streaked 

 with black ; bill yellow ; feet dark ; breast and under parts chest- 

 nut-brown; rump light; wings dark brown margined with 

 lighter color; tail black with outer feathers tipped with white. 

 Female, similar but of a little lighter color. The young have 

 breast and under parts spotted with black. Length, ten inches. 



The Robin is one of the tamest and friendliest of birds, 

 coming even into the heart of cities and towns in perfect con- 

 fidence. Everybody loves him. We have fallen into the habit 

 of calling him Robin Redbreast, but that name does not cor- 

 rectly describe him, for his breast is chestnut-brown. The true 

 Redbreast is the Robin of England, a bird which is a third 

 smaller than ours. 



Robins are hardy birds and endure very cold weather. 

 Some which have wintered no farther .south than Virginia 

 hurry north too early in March and often meet heavy snow 

 storms. At such times they take refuse in barns and thick 

 woods where, if the storm lasts very long, many starve to 

 death. A moderate snow storm does not worry these har- 

 bingers of spring, for they can live two or three days on very 

 little food. They are slow in leaving for the Southern States 

 in the fall, often lingering until Thanksgiving time before the 

 last of them depart from this vicinity. 



The nest, made of mud and held together with dry grass, 

 is usually located in a tree, from ten to thirty feet above the 

 ground. Beams and ledges in open buildings and porches are 

 sometimes selected as sites for nesting. The nest is about an 

 inch in thickness and always well supported. The work of 



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