Michigan State Bird: Description, Pictures, & Fun Facts

What is Michigan State Bird?

The term “The Great Lake State” refers to Michigan. One reason for this is that Michigan has more than 64,000 inline lakes and ponds! It is the country’s tenth most populous and eleventh largest state. The White-tailed Deer is Michigan’s official mammal, but what is the official Michigan State bird?

In 1931, the state of Michigan designated the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), popularly known as the robin redbreast, as its official bird. This migratory songbird is famed for its red breast, although its chest feathers range in colour from peach to crimson maroon.

Why is American Robin Michigan State Bird?

In a contest, the American Robin was selected as Michigan’s state bird. House Concurrent Resolution 30 said, in part, “The robin is the most recognized and most liked of all the birds in the state of Michigan,” The bird may be found in most Michigan backyards, forests, and parks.

When did American Robin become Michigan State Bird?

On April 8, 1931, its legislature passed laws to legalize the bird. Connecticut and Wisconsin’s official bird is the American Robin.

What does Michigan State Bird look like?

The male and female American robins seem the same, but the female has a lighter red on her breast and stomach. The birds have a dark grey to black head with a shattered eye ring. These birds often have a black beak with a brown hue at the base.

Their upper parts are grey, with a white under tail. The celebratory aspect of this bright, happy bird is rounded off by its striped neck and a tiny yellow beak.

Their winter feathers are noticeably whiter than their summer feathers. The breasts of this bird’s juveniles are speckled and whiter.

The American robin is 8.5 inches long from head to tail on average, but may grow to be 11 inches long. It has a wing span of 12 to 16 inches. These little birds are barely 2.3 to 3 ounces in weight.

How do Michigan State Bird behave?

The happy, lively American robin sings alone, foraging for food on lawns in residential neighbourhoods. Because robins sing early in the morning, you probably wake up to the sound of their singing. So long as it is not breeding season, the American robin travels in big flocks.

They are found in both North and Central America. They like travelling and usually spend the winter in Florida. The Gulf Coast and central Mexico are other prominent wintering grounds for this bird. Some people go to the Pacific coast by plane.

Although they may dwell as far north as Canada or Alaska in the spring and summer, they prefer to breed and mate in warmer climates. Every year, from April to July, they reproduce.

When they breed, they lose some of their cheerfulness because they vigorously protect their territory. Serial monogamy is practised by the bird, which means that two birds pick each other and pair off to reproduce each year. Their union lasts the whole breeding season.

Each will find a new companion to mate with the next season. Typically, the mother lays three to five eggs every brood. During the mating season, the robin pair may have two to three broods.

Incubation takes 14 days. The newborns have no feathers and no sight when they emerge from the eggs. During the following two weeks, they grow feathers and the capacity to sight as their parents watch over them.

The chicks may leave the nest around two weeks after hatching, but their parents continue to watch over them for another two weeks.

They can only fly small distances at this time, so their parents keep an eye on them while they learn to stretch their wings and fly. They take off on their own after they have mastered flying.

Do American Robin form communities?

American robins create short-term communities. Every year, they move south for the winter, and many robins form a flock. To enhance safety, they travel great distances together. Travelling in large groups minimizes the likelihood of predator attack.

When they get to their goal, they divide into smaller groups. Each bird builds its own nest. This nest keeps them warm throughout the cold. When they return to their regular habitat during warmer weather, they also make a nest.

This nest is located between 4.9 and 14.8 feet above ground. They frequently put it in a fork between two tree branches or in a thick bush. Their nest is made of a variety of tough materials.

They weave these materials together to make a foundation, then spread mud on the interior floor and line it with soft grass to create a deep pile wall-to-wall carpeting. The foundation of the nest is often made of twigs, feathers, coarse grasses, and paper.

Aside from soft grasses, you could notice a robin redbreast flying about with a piece of fabric in its mouth or a piece of bunting off a pillow.

They comb their region seeking soft things for the nest’s inside. The mother prioritises this since she will be sitting on the eggs for two weeks while they incubate.

What do American Robin eat?

These birds have an omnivorous diet. They eat tiny invertebrates such as grasshoppers, beetle grubs, caterpillars, and earthworms. Robins like seafood, particularly mollusks. They feed on tiny mollusks and insects while they spend the winter at the seashore.

They also obtain their fruits, despite the fact that they do not consume vegetables. Berries, as well as cultivated and natural fruit, are favourites of the American robin. are a joyful bird that regularly sings, especially early in the morning.