Friday Foto: American Robin portrait

American Robin, Beaverton, Oregon, 8 April 2011 by Greg Gillson.

 

The white marks on the face of American Robin don't correspond exactly to full feather tracts as named in the "topology" or "parts of a bird" as listed in your field guides.

There is a white spot on the supralorals, another above and to the back of the eye, and a third below the eye, but beyond the limits of an "eye ring."

Telling male from female robins apart by plumage is not always easy. On average, the head of the male is darker than the female. The bill is usually all yellow on the male, while the female's bill has a dark tip (not always easy to tell after the bird has been digging around in the mud with its bill).

We've discussed American Robins in more detail in the past.

Following the (bird photography) rules

American Robin, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, Hillsboro, Oregon on February 25, 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

There are several "rules" in bird photography that help make a pleasing composition. There can be times to break those rules. In this photograph, however, I stayed within the rules for pleasing results.

First, get the bird's eyes in focus. Most people agree that if the subjects eyes are in focus that the photo as a whole is in focus--even if distant parts of the bird may actually be out-of-focus. And get a catchlight in the eye--that little sparkle of light. If the eye is in shadow and all dark, it doesn't appear as "alive" as it should.

Secondly, give the bird extra space both above the head and in front of the bird in the direction which the bird is facing.

Third, get on the same level as the bird; do not shoot up or down at the bird. In this case, the foreground and background fade away pleasantly as I crouched down to get as close as I could to the bird's level.

Fourth, use natural light or, if necessary, use only a subdued fill-flash. Flash may garishly brighten a bird's colors and make the bird look like a two-dimensional cut-out. In this case I used only natural morning light. The morning light has a pleasing golden cast and the directional side lighting creates shadow for a realistic, three-dimensional shape.

Other techniques come down to personal taste--the photographer's style. I have been following Rich Ditch's photography blog. His personal taste is for understated colors and earth tones. This photo falls into that category. Rich also prefers to back off--not cropping tightly--and show more of the bird-in-habitat. I believe this photo is in the style of Rich Ditch.

Birding technique... The early bird gets the worm; the early birdwatcher gets the bird!

American Robin searching for worms, Rood Bridge Park, Hillsboro, Oregon on 13 March 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 

Yesterday (22 May 2009), David Bailey made an interesting observation on the Oregon Birders On-Line (OBOL) mailing list. The post concerned migrant seabirds, but applies to birds on land, as well--perhaps even your own backyard.

Bailey said:

"I have been conducting morning surveys in the upland forest of the Coast Range since 1 May and visiting Boiler Bay most days around 0800. Comparing my numbers and species richness to Phil Pickering's and Wayne Hoffman's counts during the same period has shown ample evidence that counting within two hours of sunrise rather than in the third hour produces much higher numbers of individuals and species. Today was no exception, though the northward flights of birds were still occurring while nearly completely tapering off by 0900."

Indeed, birders arriving in later morning and seeing only a few birds floating offshore from this Oregon coast State Wayside, wonder about the reports they read online. I've even been asked if certain regular Boiler Bay bird reporters were making up those large shearwater, murrelet, and auklet numbers. No, I assure them, the birds are definitely there near shore, very early in the morning.

Since sunrise in May is about 5:30 AM, that means that birders arriving after 8:00 AM will likely NOT see any of the target species of seabirds. In fact, they are not likely to see very many birds at all. Migration for the day is over and birds sit on the water farther offshore, unseen.

Tim Rodenkirk added:

It is certainly the same for passerine species and birds like Black Swift which are regular coastal migrants this time of year. I have posted bird lists at the learning center at New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (SW Coos Co- BLM land) after point counts only to hear, "I didn't see any of those species"-- well of course, they were looking later AM and even worse, in the PM when the winds typically howl on the Oregon Coast (if you don't want to see birds, always arrive a few hours after sunrise) However, if you are out at sunrise, and the first couple hours after sunrise, you'll hear and see all sorts of birds, but by even 8 or 9AM on the coast, the show is over and the winds begin howling.

It's true. Birds are most active at dawn. Many neotropical migrants fly all night and land at dawn, sing, eat, and then sleep or rest in the shade as the sun crawls higher in the sky. Early birders see more birds. In fact, it is often light enough to see birds a half an hour before official sunrise. And, certainly, the dawn chorus starts well before sunrise and tapers off an hour or so after sunrise. As Rodenkirk reproached: "If you don't want to see birds, always arrive a few hours after sunrise."

To see the most birds, get up while it's dark and be where you want to be birding when the sun rises.

What bird is that?... Questions and answers

Send your queries about Pacific Northwest bird identification or behavior or other topics. I'll do my best to figure out what you saw. I'll do some research. Then I'll write an article to answer your question. If you have a certain question, no doubt others will, too, and appreciate knowing the answer. My goal will be to do one Q & A article each week, answering all the questions I receive that week. I'll just use your first name and city in my answers. If you send photos I will likely use them (perhaps cropping and adjusting exposure for the web) so others can see what you are seeing.

Send questions to me using this link: PNWBB Q & A

This week's questions seem to have repeating themes. All four questions this week came from Washington, two from Bellingham, two were American Robins, and two were birds nesting in evergreen wreaths on the front door!

---

Question: "Our fresh Christmas [wreath] did great through the winter so we left it hanging on our front door. About 3 to 4 weeks ago I noticed activities of a robin around the wreath. I thought it was picking up tweaks to build its nest until later I found out that it was actually building a nest on the Wreath. There were 3 eggs in the nest and the mother bird has been with them at times... We restrained from using our front door but. The garage door is located in the front of the house. Every time the garage door opens and closes it still alarms the bird and it flies away. With the bird being gone so often and at times for a prolonged period of time would the eggs hatch? I thought about bringing the nest with the wreath to show my daughter's kindergarten class. I hesitated because she hasn't given up her eggs yet. Sound pretty silly questions but please educate me on this. Thank you!"

A mom in Olympia, WA

Answer: Robins are quite tolerant of human disturbance. Once the eggs are laid the mother bird will be less likely to leave the nest. You are correct, though, that the eggs may fail if they cool off too much while the adults are flushed away from their nest. Robins may attempt to renest up to 3 times in a season. It is their way of assuring offspring as, on average, only 2 nestlings live to adulthood to replace the parents every 4-6 years or so--the average life span of an adult bird. One thing to keep in mind, though. It is illegal to possess the nest, eggs, feathers, or body of birds in the US without a license. Thus, taking the old nest to your child's school, while an excellent nature lesson, is a bad citizen lesson! Perhaps you can find a volunteer at a local Audubon Society that has the proper permits and collection for a fun school assembly show-and-tell.

---

Question: "Hi Greg - I have a wreath on my front porch a small brown/beige bird has made a nest in. There are three blue eggs in the nest. Is there any way to identify what kind of bird it is? Thanks."

Linda in Seattle, WA

Answer: I believe your bird--if not an American Robin as above--is the House Finch. The female is all brown, while the male has a red forehead and breast. The eggs will hatch about 3 weeks after they are laid and the young will leave the nest about 3 weeks after that. See: In the backyard... House Finch.

---

Question: "I live in Bellingham and have heard a distinct pre dawn song for years. I used to listen it when I was burning the midnight oil in college, when I heard it I knew I needed to kick it up a notch to complete my paper. Recently I was walking to my car at 4:30 and noted the same measured warble. What bird would most likely produce this pre-dawn song in this area? I wish I had a recording of it but I don't."

W in Bellingham, Washington

Answer: The earliest riser and one of the first singers in spring, is the American Robin. See: In the backyard... American Robin. You can find a recording of the song on the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's web site: All about birds: American Robin. Another bird that might sing early in the pre-dawn in April is White-crowned Sparrow.

---

Question: "Can you help identify a bird for us? We live in a rural area outside Bellingham and have several different types of birds from small to the larger Robins and even ducks and some geese. The bird in question is a "robin" sized greyish bird, that looks in many ways like a dove, with a distinctive black bib on its chest and robin red colors under its wings."

David outside Bellingham, WA

Answer: David, your bird is In the backyard... Northern Flicker.

In the backyard... American Robin

American Robin, Dawson Creek Park, Hillsboro, Oregon on 16 February 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 

It's mid March. There is frost on the ground and the eastern sky has not even a foregleam of the dawn to come. As I head out the door to work, though, I hear the melodic caroling refrains of the American Robin, beginning its spring breeding song.

The American Robin is a familiar yard bird in nearly all of North America. It breeds from the treeline at the Arctic Circle south throughout most of the US, except in southern Florida and some desert areas of Arizona and southern Texas. It breeds in the high mountains of northwestern Mexico. In winter it retreats from most of Canada and interior Alaska and winters throughout the lower 48 states and extends well into Mexico.

Locally, in the Pacific Northwest, the American Robin is one of the most widespread breeding birds, from the coast to high into the mountains, from wet valleys and forest clearings, throughout any water courses through the high desert of the Great Basin east of the Cascades. This species is common in lawns and meadows in towns or country settings. In winter, in the frozen and dry eastern Great Basin of Oregon and Washington, fewer birds remain. Large flocks migrate through lowlands west of the Cascades in January and February, as the northern birds wintering in the south head back to Alaska and Canada.

Robins are common in yards and gardens where they hop on the ground and feed on earthworms. They also eat fruit, such as holly berries and the berries of trees such as hawthorn. They are attracted to backyards by water features where they like to drink and bathe. Early risers, they begin singing well before dawn and often sing well into the evening, April through June. They weave a grass nest in the crotch of a low tree or tall bush, or sometimes place their nests on corners of buildings, carports, or porches. American Robins may raise up to three batches of nestlings in a single season--especially if the first brood fails (dies).

The brick red breast and gray-brown back is familiar to most people. The white and black streaked throat and white lower belly and undertail add to the field marks. However, similar species in the West include the Varied Thrush, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Spotted Towhee.

For more information, read about this species in the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's online field guide All About Birds.