Robin Chicks Hatched!!
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) builds their nest in shrubs, trees forks or any sufficient ledge that they find. The nest is built with grasses, string and then stuck together by mud. They will line the nest with very fine grasses. Adults will not start incubating the nest until all the eggs have been laid (normally 3 or 4 eggs). They will sit on the eggs for about 12-14 days and nestlings will leave the nest in about 14-16 days. Weather pending the American Robin have anywhere from 2 to 3 broods throughout the year. This video clips below is very long (look out dial-up people) but shows the numerous efforts by both the male and females Robins while raising their young.
Look for the following events in this video:
• Female feeds the nestling that appears to be the hungriest.
• Female sits tight on the nest.
• Female looks down at nestlings to say “Quit Poking Me”!!
• Female sits tight for a long time and does very little movement.
• Male vocalizes and shows up with more food.
• Female flies away to get more food.
• Male does a call note getting the nestlings up and start begging for food.
• Male feeds the hungriest nestling.
• Male eats both of the nestlings fecal sacks (since they are so young, he eats these small sack of waist to get the nurturance that the nestlings didn’t digested. Once the nestlings are older the robin will carry the sacks away to be disposed somewhere else).
• Male flies away for more food.
This video was taken at my field assistants house and uploaded via their high speed internet (yes, I am still on dial-up). This wonderful series was taken with my point and shoot camera and I was amazed at quickly the birds adapted to the camera being right next to their nest. Once both birds left the nest, the camera was removed and the Robins continued feeding the young for the rest of the night. I just might have to try getting more video clips like this of other nesting birds (figure I would start with the common ones first).
The pictures of our trip to BBBO and BBRR should be in tomorrows post once I get some more time to edit and write!! I had this video uploaded already so it was easier to do this over the busy catch up day that I had today.
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
Very interesting video again. The male is noticeably smaller than the female. The video quality is pretty good.
8 May 2007 at 11:42 pm
What a very cool video Monarch! They didn’t seem to mind the camera at all. Fascinating.
9 May 2007 at 6:56 am
Thanks Shutterbug!! I didn’t have to drop down the quality for uploading.
Jayne – thanks but they were very conserned when I was out on the porch!
9 May 2007 at 9:04 am
Another terrific video Mon@rch! It’s funny how mama does the wiggle-wiggle, shimmy-shimmy settling down on her chicks. Eating the fecal sac…glad it’s a bird thing.
9 May 2007 at 9:42 am
mmm…poop…mmm
9 May 2007 at 9:55 am
-I’m not eating at their restaurant.-Nice video footage.-We still have a wacky Robin assaulting all of the cars at work.-Robins are fun birds to watch.
9 May 2007 at 8:51 pm
Those facial expressions made me giggle. The reaction to what sounded like an automobile accident was priceless! Great video, Mon@rch.
10 May 2007 at 8:51 am
@ Lynne Thanks and I so love the wiggle wiggle also!
@ Scott – guess we can’t have our cake and ice-cream both!!
@ Larry – I wouldn’t also but would enjoy watching their TV!
@ Mary – The vehicle in the background was fun! Thanks!
10 May 2007 at 9:21 am
I know that my father sometimes cleaned my plate for me as a kid, but that’s ridiculous.
Seriously, VERY cool video – can’t wait to see others…
10 May 2007 at 4:12 pm
They’re really amazing and cute birds. We just had some chicks hatch in our backyard, and two of the four fell out of the nest. We found them, but they are having a lot of trouble flying. Any ideas?
I also think that the adults are really protective, agreed. They basically bombshelled us when we walked through the yard to get the mail….
Very cool video!
2 June 2008 at 3:11 pm
Some baby robins hatched last Thursday in a nest that was built over our front door. There are 3 chicks in the nest. I haven’t seen either parent around the nest at all today. The last time I saw the mother she was last night, she was roosting on the edge of the nest. No one has touched or disturbed the nest. Could she have abandoned it?
9 June 2009 at 5:13 pm