Do large groups of robins indicate that a flock is migrating South for the winter?
American robins are surprisingly hardy as long as they have access to their winter food sources: berries and fruits. They switch over in winter from their mostly insect-based summer diet. As such, robins are facultative migrants. This means that they will migrate only as far south as they need to or are forced to by bad weather or food shortages. During ice storms, when berries and fruit are covered in a thick coating of ice, many robins flock together and move south. In the same way, if a robin spends the winter in your region, it’s probably because there’s enough food to see it through. The idea that robins are the true first sign of spring is somewhat mythical. In much of northern North America, a few robins overwinter, but they stick to the woods and thickets where they can find fruit and berries. Most backyard bird watchers do notice the robins’ return when these birds appear on lawns with the onset of warm weather, seeking their warm-weather food: earthworms, grubs, caterpillars,
