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Robin Platform
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American
Robin
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Species: migratorius
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La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
La. turdus a thrush
La. migrator wanderer,
migrant
La. orius belonging to |
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Ten inches long, eight inches tall. Black
head, yellow bill, small white spot above the eye. Back and wings slate-gray, chestnut
underside. Black tail. 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.
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| They run, halt and remain motionless while
they watch for movement with their head twisted. Folklore is they listen for
worms. 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
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