To nearly everyone in North America, the robin is a favorite bird. It has become well-known for its cheery songs, one of which seems to say “cheer up, cheer up.” And most of us have watched a robin, with its grayish-black head, back and tail and its brick-red breast, hop across a lawn. It will stop frequently, cock its head sideways as if listening, and then quickly tug a nice fat worm out of the ground and swallow it.
During summer months robins are found from Alaska and the Canadian Rockies, all the way across lower Canada and the United States, and down to the Gulf of Mexico. In winter many migrate to the southern United States, and then in early spring they return to the exact spots they temporarily vacated—often to the very same nests. The same male and female are usually paired together from year to year.
Building a nest requires lots of mud. The female does most of the work, but her mate helps gather some of the material. She starts by mixing mud and grass. As the sides get higher and before the mud hardens, she squats down and squirms around to make a bowl-shaped bottom. Then, after building the sides higher and before it fully hardens, she lines it with soft grasses, leaves and a few feathers. Sometimes it takes two weeks to build a nest. Then she lays from three to six pretty blue eggs.
The eggs take about two weeks to hatch. The chicks, naked and blind at birth, open their eyes in five days and feathers begin to show. In only a few weeks they are ready to fly. Robins may have two or three broods during the spring and summer.
Although most people admire these lively birds, they are at times a problem to fruit and berry growers. Robins love to eat cherries and berries, along with their worm and insect diet. But overall they are a great benefit to farmers and to all of us in eating a tremendous amount of harmful insects every day.
These pretty birds were first called robins in colonial days. People from England found their colors similar to the British robin. Both are part of the thrush family.
In looking at all kinds of birds, we are reminded that they are an important part of God’s creation. We cannot help but marvel at the wide variety He placed on the earth, from the cold Arctic and Antarctic areas to the heat of the equator. The Bible tells us He had real pleasure in creating them.
It is important to remember that the Bible also tells us, “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein . . . and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:66Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. (Nehemiah 9:6)). All creation belongs to Him.
ML-06/27/2004