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Robins flock together in winter
January 7, 2011
By Bill Graham
Before robins come bobbing along in spring, it’s not unusual for them to form large flocks in winter.
Some inquiries about winter robins were made recently to Missouri Department of Conservation staff members in the Kansas City area. People who saw large flocks of robins were surprised and concerned that they would be harmed by winter cold.
But, “this is normal for frugivores,” said Brad Jacobs, an MDC ornithologist.
In late spring and early summer, robins are often seen in pairs as they hunt for insects to feed to their young.
“But in winter they often flock up and roost together to preserve heat,” Jacobs said.
Robins are frugivores in winter, meaning they eat fruit. They will eat the bluish berries on red cedar trees or the purplish fruit on hackberry trees, or any type of berry or fruit they can find still hanging on a tree or shrub.
When summer conditions prompt trees such as cedars to produce lots of fruit, Jacobs said, there will be lots of robins lingering in winter. The flocks can number in the hundreds or sometimes even in the thousands. Some linger north so they can rush to their breeding territory in spring to defend it from other robins.
But if the fruit runs out, he said, they will head south for the duration of winter.
“They can go 500 miles south in one day without any trouble,” Jacobs said.
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