• Rubi Reyes •
• Originally published January 21, 2009 at 5:19 p.m., updated January 21, 2009 at 5:19 p.m.

Robins are currently abundant in my yard, spending an amazing amount of time at the birdbaths and around the dragonfly pond. There are times when a dozen or more are perched on one of the birdbaths. More than any other bird I know about, our American robins love water. They drink often and take baths on a regular basis. Some ornithologists claim they bathe twice each day, in the morning and again before retiring for the night. I have even seen robins bathing in water dripping from melting snows in the mountains.

I imagine that my yard contains more robins than most yards because of the readily available water. The arid conditions this year in most of South Texas make water very important for robins and lots of other birds. Other birds taking advantage of my birdbaths include all the resident species as well as a few visitors. During the last few weeks, I have seen visiting green jays, a golden-fronted woodpecker, yellow-rumped and orange-crowned warblers, and chipping, field, Lincoln's and white-throated sparrows enjoying a refreshing baths.

American robins have long been one of my favorite birds. It is too bad that they are with us only during the winter months. They do nest in most of Texas to our north from the pineywoods to the Panhandle and also in the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas. Maybe robins are a favorite bird because of their congruous behavior. Unlike most songbirds, once the young are fledged and accompanying the males, and after the female has completed the second brood, they all roost together, sometimes in congregations of several thousands. Robin flights are also distinct as a few to several hundreds fly separately, not in tight flocks. And their diet changes suddenly from feeding earthworms to their nestlings to berries, which they then will utilize until the following spring when they begin to feed their next brood.

Most of us picture robins hunting earthworms in the yard, running here and there, then standing erect, cocking their heads, and when spying an earthworm, gradually pulling it out to haul it off to a waiting family. The old question of whether they find worms by hearing or by sight has conclusively been resolved. Cocking the head gives them a better view.

Robins are very special for various other reasons, the least of which is their bright color and friendly manner. They are among the first birds our children come to recognize. And their wonderful songs provide us with ringing carols most of the year. Partial songs, especially during early mornings, are often heard in South Texas, but they normally save their full songs for their breeding grounds. When nesting, their songs are the first we hear in the mornings and the last we hear at dusk: "cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheer-up, cheerily." With songs like that, is it any wonder that "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along" is our standard for happiness songs?

For readers interested in more robin facts, my book, "The American Robin," published by the University of Texas Press, is available at your favorite bookstores or online.

The book may contain more than you care to know, but it may help you enjoy these lovely birds this time of year even more.

Ro Wauer writes about nature for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him in care of Victoria Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77902.

• ROBIN STATISTICS

  Average life span: 1 year and 2 months

  Maximum age: 17 years

  Length: 9 to 11 inches

  Wingspan is 14.75 to 16.5 inches

  Weight is 2.5 to 3 ounces

  Flight speed is 17 to 32 mph

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ROBIN STATISTICS

Average life span: 1 year and 2 months

Maximum age: 17 years

Length: 9 to 11 inches

Wingspan is 14.75 to 16.5 inches

Weight is 2.5 to 3 ounces

Flight speed is 17 to 32 mph

Number of feathers is 2,900

Nesting cycle is 27 to 38 days

Nest size is 6 to 7 inches across the top and 3 inches high

Clutch size is 4, but ranging from 3 to 7

Food for an average brood is 3.2 points in total or 356 feedings daily.

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