A Busy Robin

As I walk around the neighborhood this morning I see many American Robins (above) on lawns. Robins spend a great deal of time in short grassy areas as well as in exposed patches of dirt looking for food. It is not surprising as they are busy feeding their hungry youngsters at this time of year, and it is relatively easy to see them activity searching.

What the robins are after is worms. So how do they search for worms? Watch a robin walk and then stop, and you will notice that it stretches its head out (above) and tilts its head to one side (below). What it is doing is using its hearing to listen for the faintest sound of a worm underground! With its head being ‘cocked’ it is also likely that it is using its vision, one eye close focusing, to detect the slightest movement, before striking. Watch them do this and see how successful they are.