On dewy grass, the robins meet
To claim the breakfast beneath their feet;
Soon so full, they cannot chirp,
They topple over with a burp
And dream about the worms they eat.
According to All About Birds, Wikipedia and Wild Birds Unlimited, the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, only 2 out of 5 of those nests will successfully produce young. A mere 25 percent of fledglings survive to November and only about half of those make it to the next year. Pretty shitty odds. Even if they do make it, a robin is considered an old-timer by the age of six. They’re incredible creatures, however. It’s said that robins can ingest the staggering equivalent of 14 feet of earthworms a day. About 40 percent of a robin’s diet consists of small invertebrates, such as crickets, grubs, worms, grasshoppers and caterpillars, which it procures chiefly in the morning. The remainder of its diet is made up of soft fruits and berries, which it forages for the rest of the day. Interestingly, they seem to get drunk on fermented Pyracantha and honeysuckle berries (the latter, if eaten exclusively), which can cause them to stagger and fall. It’s a disgrace, really. You don’t see wrens, cardinals or chickadees doing that.
