The American Robin may well be the most familiar and best-liked bird on our continent—and not surprisingly so. In addition to sporting a distinctive plumage and boasting a wide distribution (they are probably North America’s most numerous native bird), robins sing a spirit-lifting carol and display before everyone a fascinating talent for catching worms. They warm winter-wearied people with welcome news of spring and then graciously accept their hospitality by nesting on the windowsills of their homes. Small wonder our robin is perched atop the charts of avian popularity!

And yet just how much do most people really know about our redbreasted friends? Do people know how they got their name, where they spend the night, or what happens to them if they don’t go south for the winter? Do they understand the species’ territorial nature, its vulnerability to pesticides, or its ecological requirements for nesting? Do people know how long a baby Robin may be expected to live? Despite the great popularity of robins, most people know little about the details of their habits and needs. This lack of knowledge about so commonplace an animal offers a telling comment on the success of our efforts to become educated in the complexities of both our environment and the wildlife that share it with us.

It is not that little is known about robins in scientific circles. Indeed, the robin has been observed and studied by a multitude of professional ornithologists and amateur birdwatchers. The resulting information, while far from complete, is nevertheless considerable. Still, a systematic synthesis of this information into a comprehensive description of the robin’s entire life cycle has not yet (i.e., as of 1976 when this volume was first published) been made. This book is intended to remedy that situation.