American Robin

American Robin in Michigan

Turdus migratorius

Identification. Large thrush with rusty-red breast, dark gray to black head and back, and white eye crescents. The familiar 'cheer-up cheerily' song is one of the first signs of spring across most of Michigan.

Status in Michigan. Common year-round resident; numbers swell with migration. American Robin is present statewide year-round, though the populations of winter and summer are largely different birds. Winter robins are irruptive flocks of birds from farther north feeding on persistent fruit. Summer robins are the breeding population that arrives in March and April.

Habitat. Lawns, parks, woodland edges, agricultural fields, gardens.

Where to find American Robin. Universal across Michigan habitats. Spring arrival in March is one of the most-tracked phenology markers in the state.

Best Michigan counties for American Robin. All Michigan counties. Click any county above to see recent American Robin sightings and hotspot information.

Conservation. Stable, abundant. The state bird of Michigan, designated by legislative resolution in 1931.

The sightings table below this section pulls live American Robin reports from eBird across all 83 Michigan counties, refreshed every 15 minutes. For comprehensive historical records and global range information, the eBird species profile and Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World account are the authoritative references.

Edited by Chris Izworski, Bay City, Michigan. Sightings data from eBird, updated every 15 minutes.