Connecticut has plenty of diverse habitats for birds and other wildlife. When it comes to state animal and state bird Connecticut has both.
When it comes to its state animal, then it is Sperm Whale. But what is the state bird of Connecticut?
The state bird of Connecticut is American Robin which is adopted by this state in 1943. This bird has a red breast and the coloring of these birds depends on their gender.
However, there are many related facts about these birds. And In this article, I’ll explain every fact about them.
Why is the American Robin the state bird of Connecticut?
During the winter season, the American robins migrate and Connecticut seems to love the fall foliage. These birds nest high in pines in swamps during the winter season.
These swamp dwellers help the residents with a song all year long. This makes the residents of Connecticut love this bird and choose it as a state bird.
When did the American Robin become the state bird of Connecticut?
In 1934, the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation adopting American robins as their state bird. Connecticut shares its state bird with Michigan and Wisconsin.
What does the state bird of Connecticut look like?
American robins generally feature a black to grey head with a broken ring. They have a black bill along with a brown shade at the base.
You will also notice grey upper parts with a white under tail among these birds. Robins have streaked throat, a thin bill of yellow and white plumage which is paler than their summer feathers.
Both male and female robins look similar to each other. But the young robins have whiter breasts. The average length of American robins is 8.5 inches but they can grow up to 11 inches.
Their wingspan ranges between 12 to 16 inches. The weight of these birds is around 2.3 to 3 ounces.
How do these birds behave?
American robins are cheerful and energetic songbirds who generally forage for food on lawns. Hearing the song of a robin is possible early in the morning as they prefer this time.
These robins are a part of the large flock when they migrate but during the breeding season, they break into pairs.
During the winter season, American robins prefer traveling to Florida, the Gulf Coast, and Central Mexico. Some can even fly to the Pacific coast.
During the spring and summer seasons, these birds prefer Canada or Alaska as they enjoy mating and breeding in this season.
The breeding season of these birds is between April to July of each year. But during this season, they lose their cheerful nature and become more aggressive in defending the territory.
American robins are generally monogamous as each year two birds choose one another and get paired to procreate.
But this couple lasts for this breeding season only and they find a new partner to mate in the next year. Generally, the female robins lay three to five eggs per brood.
They can have two to three broods per year during the breeding season. The incubation period of these birds is of 14 days.
When the eggs hatch, the babies are born without feathers and sight. In the next two weeks, the babies develop the feathers and ability to see and the parents care for them.
After this period, the chicks become able to leave the nest but the parents continue to look out for them for another two weeks.
Initially, the fledglings can fly only short distances and the parent birds look after them while the chicks are learning to spread their wings and fly.
Do American Robins form communities?
American robins do form communities but it is generally for a temporary period. During the winter season, these birds migrate to the south and many robins form a flock.
These flocks fly together for long distances as it maximizes their safety. When birds flock together, it reduces the risk of predator attack.
When they reach their destination, they reduce into small numbers and each bird builds its own nest. They can get warmth in the nest in the winter season.
But during the summer season, they reduce their socialness. These birds migrate back to their permanent home during the summer season and build a nest in that place as well.
Generally, it is between 4.9 feet to 14.8 feet above the ground. These nests are usually placed between two tree branches or in dense bushes.
These birds make use of hardy material to weave a foundation of the nest. They include the mud on the interior floor of the nest which gets lined with soft grass.
The foundation of the nest is weaved with the help of materials like feathers, coarse grass, paper, and twigs.
Sometimes robins also use a piece of cloth it forms a pillow and completes the interior of the nest with soft items.
It is done to have comfort as the mother robin needs to sit on the eggs continuously for two weeks for incubation.
What do American Robins eat?
The American robins are omnivorous birds with having diet similar to it. Their diet generally consists of small invertebrates, worms, fruits, berries, and grubs.
But during the winter season, they prefer eating berries. But the location of the robins also plays a major role. The individuals of Connecticut can have the sight of a robin pecking at the ground.
Conclusion
The state bird of Connecticut is American Robin which got this status in 1934. These birds are omnivorous and prefer berries, fruits, worms, grubs, insects, and more.
Generally, these birds stay in the flock but they stay in pairs during the breeding season.
At last, I hope this article might have helped you in some ways. Thank You For Reading!
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