Michigan is quite a populous state and is known as The Great Lake state. Like other states, Michigan has both state animal and state bird.
The White-tailed Deer is the state animal of Michigan but what about the state bird? The state bird of Michigan is the American Robin which got this status in 1931.
These birds have red breasts and prefer an omnivorous diet. And In this article, I’ll explain all the facts related to this bird.
Why is the American Robin the state bird of Michigan?
In Michigan, a contest was organized to determine its state bird and the American robin won the contest.
When did the American Robin become the state bird of Michigan?
On April 8, 1931, the legislature of Michigan adopted the American Robins as their state bird. With this decision, Michigan shared its state bird with Connecticut and Wisconsin.
What does the state bird of Michigan look like?
The American Robins features a black to dark grey head with a broken eye-ring and has a black bill featuring a brown shade at the base. They have grey upper parts with a white undertail.
The American Robins have streaked throat and the youth of these birds have white breasts. When it comes to the plumage of these birds, the winter plumage comes is paler than their summer feathers.
Both the genders of these birds look almost alike but the female birds have paler red on their chest and stomach.
The American Robins usually have an average of 8.5 inches in length but they can grow up to 11 inches. The wingspan of these birds ranges between 12 to 16 inches and weighs only 2.3-3 ounces.
How do these birds behave?
The American Robins frequently forage for food on lawns and the song of these birds can be often heard early in the morning.
These birds form flock while traveling and they love to travel to Florida during the winter season. Even the Gulf coast and central Mexico are the favorite spot of these birds for migration.
During the summer and spring, these robins live in Canada or Alaska where they breed and mate.
The breeding season of these robins starts from April to July of each year. During this season, the behavior of these birds becomes aggressive in defending their territory.
These birds are monogamous and each year two birds choose their mate for breeding, this couple lasts for one breeding season only.
In the next breeding season, they find a new partner to mate for that year. The female robin usually lays three to five eggs per brood and the couple may have two to three broods per year.
The incubation period of these birds is of 14 days and the babies are born without feathers and no sight. During the next two weeks, the babies can grow feathers and the ability to see.
During this time, the parents care for them. After these two weeks, the chicks can forage into the world but their parents continue to look for them for another two weeks.
For these two weeks, these chicks can learn to fly short distances and when they become proficient at it, they strike off on their own.
Do American Robins form communities?
Generally, the American robins form temporary communities. During the winter season, these birds migrate to the south, and some even come together to form a flock.
These birds can fly long distances and maximizes safety because traveling in a great number reduces the risk of a predator’s attack.
Once the birds reach their destination, they break off in small numbers and construct their own nest. During the winter season, these nests let them get warmth.
At the end of the winter season, these birds travel back to their permanent home and build their nest there. The nest of these birds is 4.9 feet to 14.8 feet above the ground.
Generally, the placement of their nest is between two or three branches and in dense bush. They use many hardy materials to construct the nest.
They weave the materials together and use mud for the floor and soft grass for the lining. The foundation of their nest consists of twigs, coarse grasses, paper, and feathers.
Even they use a piece of cloth for making a pillow. The interiors of the nest are often made of soft items as the female birds will sit on the eggs for incubation.
What do American Robins eat?
American Robins usually have an omnivorous diet and they enjoy small invertebrates including beetle grubs, earthworms, caterpillars, and grasshoppers.
These birds also prefer seafood especially the mollusks in the winter season. However, these birds do not eat vegetables but prefer fruits like berries and wild fruit.
Conclusion
Michigan has American Robin as its state bird and it received this status in 1931. These birds feature black to the dark grey head and black bills featuring brown at the base. The diet of these birds includes beetle, earthworms, and caterpillars.
At last, I hope this article may have helped you in some ways. Thank You For Reading!
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