American Robin Nesting (All You Need To Know)

American Robin (birds) are popular backyard birds that have a familiar place on lawns across the country, dragging earthworms or hopping around on freshly turned soil.

A symbol of spring, the American robin nests early in the season, laying its distinctive bright blue eggs in elaborate nests. Here, we take a closer look at the breeding and nesting habits of these curious garden visitors.

Where Do American Mockingbirds Nest?

The preferred nesting sites of American robins can vary by geographic location. Woodlands, farmland, and urban environments can all provide suitable breeding habitat for robins, which will use evergreen and deciduous trees. The fork can be used as a base or to support branches at relatively low heights and taller treetops.

Nest boxes and birdhouses can also be used if available, and robins can also choose man-made structures to start nesting, such as ledges, window sills, planters, gutters, and under the eaves of shed or barn roofs.

american robin’s nest

What does an American robin’s nest look like?

The natural nests that robins make are bulky circular structures made of twigs, grasses, and dried leaves, glued together with mud and encased in the mud outer walls. Inside is a round cup, which was pressed into shape from the wings of a female robin at a later stage of construction, and then matted with fine plant fibers and dead grass. The inner cup is large enough to hold a baseball.

Closeup of an American robin nest with four eggs

What time of year do American robins nest?

The American robin is one of the first birds to start nesting each year, with the first clutch of eggs laid in April and the last clutch leaving the nest in August. The temperature is still relatively cold when nesting begins, but it has already begun to warm up by the time the eggs are laid and the hatchlings emerge.

How Long Do American Mockingbirds Build Nests?

Egg laying begins shortly after nest building is complete, most commonly 2 to 4 eggs. Incubation lasts up to 13-14 days and is the only job of the female robin. When hatching, young robins are initially hatched by the female, while the male takes an active role in feeding.

Usually two to three litters are raised a year. Fourth children are rare, but not unheard of.

American robin chick in nest with parents nearby

How do American robins build their nests?

The female robin chooses a nesting site and builds the nest individually, using grass, twigs, and dirt enclosures. Male robins may visit nesting sites before and during construction, bringing nesting materials to assist their mates.

Female robins build vast, cup-shaped nests, the circular interiors smoothed and shaped using wet mud from worm models. Finishing touches include laying fine grass on the interior.

Nest building takes about 5 to 7 days, but once a female has mastered the art, subsequent nests built the same year may take even less time to complete.

American robin gathers nesting material to build a nest

When do baby American robins leave the nest?

After about 13 days, the newborn robins leave the nest, and the chicks will remain in the care of their parents for three weeks. By this time, the female may have returned to brooding duties for the next clutch, leaving the male alone to care for the newborn chicks.

How many litters does the American robin have?

It is most common for American robins to have two or three broods per year, although in rare cases a fourth brood may be attempted and successfully raised. Build a new nest for each fresh clutch of eggs.

American robin sitting on nest protecting eggs

Do American robins nest in the same place every year?

Robins tend to build a nest for every brood, even in the same year. However, they may revisit previous nesting sites to utilize the material or use it as a basis for building new nests.

What do American robin eggs look like?

The American robin lays bright blue eggs, a color named after the color “robin egg blue.” Eggs are smooth and plain, without spots or other markings. They are about the same size and weight as a quarter.

Nest with four blue american robin eggs

In what month do American robins lay eggs?

There can be up to three litters a year, sometimes four, with the first usually laying eggs in mid-April. When multiple broods are born in the same year, it is not uncommon for the last litter to be born in late July or even August.

Female American robins lay 2 to 4 eggs, usually about three to five days after nesting is complete. They tend to lay a new egg each day until a clutch is complete, leaving the nest early in the morning to feed, then returning to the nest to continue laying eggs. After laying eggs, the female leaves the nest only briefly for the remainder of the incubation period.

Do American Robins Use Nest Boxes?

American robins can use birdhouses, but only if they are of a specific design and the nest boxes are in place. Robins prefer open-fronted boxes, similar to nesting frames, with a good view rather than being obscured by vegetation. Such boxes will be more successful in attracting robin occupants if they are placed on the side of a building or tucked under the eaves of a roof.

The size of the nest box is also a consideration for brooding robins; the birdhouse needs to be large enough so that the robins can add their own branches and a dirt bottom to lay their eggs on.

American robin feeding worms to newly hatched chicks

Where do American robins nest at night?

While raising young, female robins sleep in nests, while males congregate in communal perches in tree branches, barns, and even under bridges. Once the baby robins become independent, they spend the night with the male in the roost. Adult female robins only go to the roost when they have finished building their nests.

Robin roosts can be large, with tens of thousands of birds spending the night in one place.

Do American Mockingbirds Nest in Backyards?

As long as other conditions are right, there’s no reason a robin shouldn’t nest in a backyard. A shady tree in a lawn provides a good spot for a potential nest, while a dense shrub or bushes can also provide suitable shelter and protection.

Open birdhouses designed to attract robins can be attached to houses or sheds to encourage nesting near human habitation.

Female American robin cares for almost invisible chicks

Do American robins abandon their nests?

Like many nesting birds, if the American robin feels its nest and eggs are threatened, it may leave the site and start over elsewhere. If a potential predator, such as a cat, bird or even a human, disturbs a robin’s nest, it may feel that it is not safe to continue trying to raise chicks at the site and abandon any unhatched eggs it has laid , and will not return to continue incubation.