Big Robin "Babies"

by Nancy H
(Chicago IL)

Last fall the city did major sewer repairs in our neighborhood and eventually they dug up most of our front yard.

In April we started to replace our landscaping and planted grass seed. Well, if you want to attract lots of birds to your yard, try planting a new lawn :)

I had to get a bird book to identify all the different types that came to feast on our grass seed, or dig for bugs in our mud and mulch.

Among the birds that came to our new habitat, we had numerous Robins. Eventually we saw two pairs that built nests and came to find food for their babies every day.

Each family raised 3 babies and the parents now bring them to the front yard. Sometimes I look out and see 6 or 7 Robins all at once.

The baby Robins are able to fly, and they are almost as big as their parents. But they still need help finding their own food. The mothers and fathers are foraging constantly, and the babies follow them around cheeping loudly for a handout, rather than trying to dig up their own worms.

This was very interesting to my 10-year-old son. I told him, "See, the babies are big enough to do it for themselves, but they still cry for their mama to do it." He said, "Those babies just don't WANT to do it. They like to have their parents help them."

He became really interested in the young Robins, I think he could relate to them! After a few days of watching them he shouted, "Mom, the baby got his own worm! He did it!"

It was great to see him becoming a bird watcher on his own (without me to help him...)