"The great thing about being a beginner [birdwatcher] is that it doesn’t
take much to please you. And if you have any sense, you will keep that."
—-Simon Barnes from HOW TO BE A BAD BIRDWATCHER
© 2010 Tracy Abell
Okay, here’s what it says at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Compared with males, females have paler heads that contrast less with the gray back.
So would you say the American Robin in my photo is male? Or female?
Tracy Abell 
My guess is female but then I don’t know squat except to recognize it as a robin. 🙂
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I’m all confused. The head seems relatively dark to me (indicating male) but there isn’t much contrast between head and back (indicating female). You’re probably right: female.
But, hey, we know it’s a robin! 🙂
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taking the advice before the photo, I’d just say it’s beautiful ;o)
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You caught me! 🙂
S/he is beautiful, isn’t s/he?
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Oh my goodness, such a clear image (even if the gender isn’t, lol. Great photography, Tracy!
I love robins. Their beauty’s right up there with hummingbirds, as far as I’m concerned.
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Thank you, Melodye. I got another with the head cocked, but it was out of focus. Drat. 🙂
I love them, too. Such cheery birds who sing such lovely songs.
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I had the same problem. The head looks dark to me, but not so different from the back. The birds in spring are so wonderful aren’t they? I’ve been walking by Paradise Creek in the afternoon. So many birds the shrubs themselves seem to be chirping.
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Birds in spring are the very, very best! And it’s true that the shrubs themselves seem to be chirping. We need to memorize these sights and sounds in order to get through the non-spring times of year.
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I’d say male — he looks content 🙂
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Male because of coloring? Or male because of the contented look? 🙂
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I’d guess male, he’s striking. This is timely for me because i feature an injured robin in my current WIP!
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Oh, no! Injured robin! I hope he makes it out alive. Hooray for birds in books!
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I just looked American Robin up in The ROM Field Guide to Birds of Ontario and they say “female resembles male but paler overall, particularly greyish brown head.”
But hmm, I think I need photos comparing the male and female to really be able to tell the difference. What I love about robins is that they usually seem to look so proud, like they’re puffing out their chests 🙂
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I need that comparison, too. I have no idea if it’s male or female so I guess I should just bask in the birdy-glow. And I absolutely agree about that pride and puffing out the chest theory; you practically expect them to bust a button or something.
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We never see robins this far south…except one time when I was really little….an enormous flock of red-bellied birds swooped over the house (very Hitchcockian). I will always remember it.
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I’m sorry you don’t see them in Florida but think it’s so very cool you saw that enormous flock. It’s as if a lifetime’s worth of robin sightings happened all at once!
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