American Robin
C Watts/CC BY 2.0
American Robins are Classic Songbirds
The American Robin is a great species to get to know. The species is widely distributed and many other birds are said to have robin-like qualities.
As Found in the Field
When you watch a bird sing, you can make a mental connection between its song and the matching beak movements. It’s a little like lip reading—or should we say beak reading— and some people find that it helps them commit song patterns to memory. We’ve included an As Found in the Field video with each featured species for those of you who are visual learners.
How to Talk About It
Learn the Sound Pattern
Listen to another American Robin song, this time paying attention to the pattern and tone quality of the notes. The song is a string of 10 or so clear whistles assembled from a few often-repeated syllables.
Song Spotlight
Now let’s revisit our soundscape but this time focus on just the American Robin.
Photo: Ryan Schain/Macaulay Library. Audio: Gregory F Budney/Macaulay LibrarySign up for How to Identify Bird Songs and get the Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds included for free!
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