American robin Facts for Kids
Turdus migratorius · TUR-dus my-gruh-TOR-ee-us
It tilts its head on lawns to spot worms, and lays blue eggs.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ 2.7 to 3 oz77 to 85 g1
- 📏 10 in25 cm2 long
- 🎂 1 year to 2 years1 year to 2 years1
- 🍽️ plants and animals
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
The robin has an orange-red chest. It hops on the lawn looking for worms. Its eggs are bright blue.
A robin tilts its head to the side to spot worms in the grass, then tugs them out of the ground. The mother builds a cup-shaped nest of grass and mud and lays bright blue eggs. In spring, robins sing early in the morning, often before the sun comes up.
The American robin is a kind of thrush. Early settlers named it after the robin of Europe because of its orange-red chest, but the two are different birds. Young robins have speckled chests that fade as they grow up. In winter, when worms are hard to find, robins switch to berries and fruit and gather in flocks.
How big is a American robin?
American robin in numbers
| Length | 10 in25 cm2bill tip to tail tip |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 2.7 to 3 oz77 to 85 g1 |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | 1 year to 2 years1 year to 2 years1in the wild |
| What it eats | earthworms, insects, berries and fruit |
| Where it lives | lawns, gardens and woods across North America |
| What kind | Birds |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)3 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- Young robins have spotted chests.
- Robins often sing before the sun comes up.
- In winter a robin eats berries instead of worms.
Compare the American robin
Friends and neighbours
Mallard
Wild turkey
Eastern gray squirrelThree questions
Books about the American robin, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the American robin for free.
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Mount Rainier, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, American robin (Q460967), checked 30 October 2026.