Some facts about Robins.

Today I did some research on Robins nest and eggs and found out some interesting facts.

1.) It takes from two to six days to make the nest, with an average of 180 trips per day to find materials. Males sometimes help gather nesting materials but the female chooses the site and builds the nest.

2.) The female robin incubates her eggs for about 12 to 16 days. She sits on the eggs for 40-minute periods. Then she stands up, turns the eggs and flies off to feed or for a break. The male stands guard and sometimes sits on the eggs.

3.) An American Robin can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, though, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young.

4.) You can tell the eggs are about to hatch or have recently hatched when the mother bird refuses to leave the nest no matter how close you get to them.

5.)The chicks are fed by both parents. They eat about 35 to 40 meals a day. The parents keep the nests clean by carrying away or eating the chicks' fecal sacs.

6.)The father becomes more involved in feeding and nest maintenance as the chicks get older because the mother might have left to build a new nest for the next brood. When they are about 13 days old, the chicks leave the nest. They stay in their parents' territory for a few weeks but leave after about a month.

Robin is sitting on her nest right now. When she leaves I will click a pic to see what position her eggs are in today. I cant wait to see the eggs hatch!