It’s commonly said that seeing the American Robin return to neighborhoods is a sign of Spring. However, it comes as a surprise to many people that the American Robin is not nearly as migratory as some people think. The population is somewhat migratory and moves slightly south for the winter and north for the summer, but through most of its range it can be found all year long. The reason they are easily spotted in the early spring is because that is when worms and insects first start being active and a carefully landscaped lawn is an easy environment for the American Robin to be hunting this prey. This makes them easily spotted in urban and suburban environments. During the dead of winter, they tend to be found more in forest interior spaces where they will feed mostly on fruit and what invertebrates they can find at the time. This leads to many people not seeing them all winter only for them to become suddenly easily visible in the Spring. It is no wonder that people take those observations and assume the bird is migrating like many others do.
Crayshack 