American Robin, Turdus migratorius

American Robin, Turdus migratorius propinguus, Female. Photograph taken within a residential community in Alamos, Sonora, March 2020. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

American Robin, Turdus migratorius propinguus, Male. Photograph taken within the bush of the greater Bahía de los Ángeles area, Baja California, February 2023. Photograph courtesy of George Flicker, Bahía de los Ángeles. Identification courtesy of Mary & George Flicker, Bahía de los Ángeles.

Background and Identification

The American Robin, Turdus migratorius propinguus, is one of seven subspecies of American Robin, four of which are found in Mexico. They belong to the Turdidae Family of Thrushes and Allies, which has one hundred seventy-four global species placed in eighteen genera, and one of eighty-three global members of the Turdus Genus. They are known in Mexico as Zorzal Americano.

The American Robin is North America’s largest, most abundant, and widely distributed thrush. Their overall length is 25 cm and they have an average body mass of 77 g. American Robins are sexually dimorphic. The males have deep grayish to dark-brown upperparts with a blackish head, white crescents above and below the eye, white tips on outer rectrices, rich rufous underparts with white undertail coverts, and a white throat, streaked with black. The bill is conspicuously yellow, their iris is dark brown and their legs and feet are brown. The adult female is similar but has a paler gray crown and mantle, a paler breast, and significantly more white on the ventrum. The throats of females are less striped, with fewer, thinner stripes than the males.

Habitat and Geographical Range

The American Robin is a highly migratory bird. They move in flocks of thousands of birds to lower elevations and latitudes during winter months. They can be found within suburban parks and gardens, benefiting from urbanization and agricultural development. Their diets are highly variable and follow annual cycles of food availability. They consume invertebrates in the spring and summer and fruits in the autumn and winter. They are easily recognized for their loud musical voice. The American Robin is poorly studied, and their biology and behavioral patterns are poorly documented.

The American Robin is an overwintering visitor to Mexico and can be found throughout northern Mexico to Baja California, southern Sonora, southern Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí,  Veracruz, and occasionally in southeastern Veracruz and the northern Yucatán Peninsula. The propinguus subspecies is commonly found in Baja California to Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and southwestern Nuevo León. Year-round populations of the phillipsi subspecies can be found in the Mexican Plateau in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, and southern Hidalgo south to southern Oaxaca.

Common Misidentifications

The American Robin is unmistakable over most of its range, but it is similar to the Rufous-backed Robin, Turdus rufopalliatis. This species is widespread in Mexico, but is a rare sight in the southwestern United States. Rufous-backed Robin is similar to a pale American Robin with cinnamon-colored underparts and a greyish head, wings, and tail. Compared to the American Robin, it has a more extensively streaked throat and no white around its eye.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective, the American Robin is currently considered of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. However, pesticides and other contaminants and toxins have strongly affected their populations in some regions.