Meet Our Owners

Chris knew he wanted to get into the Wild Bird Centers far ahead of his actual opening. Starting a year prior to retirement from the Canadian Navy, Chris went through the interview and discovery process. As WBCA's first store in Canada, Chris and Alena have proven excellent franchisees and a great asset to the Wild Bird Center franchise. Chris & Alena say:

“While searching the Internet, I came across the Wild Bird Centers of America.  I knew immediately this franchise was for me. The idea of mixing business, my love of nature, a need for community involvement and backyard birding was the perfect match for me!”


Bird Species: R

Cheery Robins Are All Around

The American robin is one of the most recognized birds in North America. That's because robin distribution parallels human distribution. And preferred robin turf -- park-like habitat with scattered trees and short grass -- pretty much describes our typical urban as well as rural home sites. So we live together.

More than any other aspect of a robin's life, we are in tune with its song. Loud and clear, the robin's "cheerio, cheerio, cheeriup, cheerio" is one of the most recognizable backyard songs. And it is one of the earliest, usually beginning before dawn.

Robins are handsome gray thrushes with a rusty breast, streaked throat and prominent but incomplete white eye ring. Males are darker than females with a near black head and more intense rust on the breast.

The American robin is the largest of the thrushes and is found throughout North America. In recent years it has been expanding its range in both directions -- breeding farther south and wintering farther north.

Robins enjoy a varied diet of soft insects, spiders, earthworms and other invertebrates, as well as fruit, which makes up more than half of a robin's diet. They especially like berries and eat more fruit during winter than summer. Berry-producing trees and gardens can act like magnets to attract robins.

Robins love earthworms. Watch a robin standing in your lawn. Notice that it frequently cocks its head before grabbing a worm. Head cocking was once thought to maximize hearing, but is now considered an adaptation to focus their eyes on prey. Because robin eyes, like those of other birds, are so large, they are crammed into the orbit space they occupy and are generally immovable. In order to focus on an object, therefore, birds have to move their heads, tilting in different directions until the object falls on the right spot of the retina.

Notice that when a robin grabs a worm it doesn't immediately yank it out. Experience has apparently taught robins that earthworms with their posteriors still in the ground can hang on, and the resulting tug-of-war will often result in the worm being pulled apart.

If you have robins nesting in a particular part of your yard, chances are good that next year you'll have them again. Robins are well known for returning to previous territorial sites, if they are available. Young robins also show preference for habitats where they were hatched and raised.

Robin nests usually are located from 5 to 20 feet above ground and generally are built on horizontal branches or building ledges. Nests consist of grass and small twigs mixed with mud, especially at the base. They are lined with fine grasses. The female does most of the nest building and then incubates three to seven light blue eggs while the male feeds her on the nest.

Commonly, the male tends the fledglings while the female lays eggs for a second brood. Newly fledged robins have a spotted breast that is characteristic of all thrushes.

Sometimes, when friends are faithful, we tend to take them for granted. Such is the case of the robin. The next time you see or hear a robin, notice the striking pattern of the male or the more subdued coloring of the female. Watch their behavior. They truly are backyard favorites.

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