American Robin

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Species: migratorius

Abundant in most of North America from Mexico, throughout the U.S., to northern Newfoundland, the Hudson Bay Region, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, and beyond the tree lines into the Arctic coastal areas. Inhabits forests, orchards, small tree stands in open country, farms and cities.

Builds a large nests of twigs, roots, grass and leaves lined with a clay cup which is lined with fine grass, hair and wool in various trees or ledges on houses and garages from five to twenty five feet high.  One of the most abundant birds in city back yards and relatively easy to attract to a properly mounted platform.

Lays three to five blue-green eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks. They raise 2 and sometimes 3 clutches in a season.

Robins forage in open meadows and the typical home lawns and gardens, often in flocks for worms, grubs, some insects, berries and a variety of other fruit.  
 

Robins prefer the wide angle of view from an open nesting platform mounted on a wall.   They frequently live near people and are good candidates for platforms located where their nesting and brood rearing can be viewed.

See the Robin platform for free woodworking plans.  It has an 8" by 8" base, approximately an 8" ceiling, an open front and partially open sides. Mount this platform on the side of a garage or shed over looking both open spaces and foliage in your back yard from seven to fifteen feet high. Carefully select a location that provides a balance of protection from predators, elements, access, visibility, and varying sunlight. Make sure objects that cats and squirrels can climb do not provide access to the nest.

Do not mount in a tree. If a robin nests in a tree it is often placed precariously out on a limb where predators cannot climb. The idea of a platform is to simulate a cliff edge. Sometimes Robins like the shelter of a porch roof, but not too much confinement. They like to survey a wide berth from their roost.

They tend to return to the same areas each year and they may recall familiar platforms where they can nest the following year, so it's good to mount platforms even out of season.

Mourning Doves, Phoebes, Blue Jays, Barn Swallows and Song Sparrows may use these platforms.   Resources