I was fortunate enough to have travelled over a great deal of North America in the past-- north to south and east to west. It was during my free-time excursions that I noticed the robin. At some point I realized that I was seeing this bird more and more. I had a little paperback book that I had picked-up at a second hand bookstore somewhere and it featured many birds of North America. I would use this to identify birds that I saw when driving or hiking. I looked-up the American Robin and saw that its range is very widespread. The range map indicated that its range extended from Central America (year-round presence) to way up in Alaska and Canada (summer only presence). Back then there was something that clutched at my interest...a sort of familiarity, but I couldn't lay a finger on what it was. Time passed and I had not thought about North American birds for ages, then one day a few years ago it dawned on me what it was that had caught my interest all those years ago--it was a familiar sound that I heard when walking along a neighbourhood street here...that and the posture of a very common bird here in Europe --the merel, or "blackbird", as it is known over in the British isles. It had made a sound and instantly I was taken back to that similiar feeling that I had over in North America . It was a sort of "Archimedes moment" for me, if you know what I mean. It all just fell into place and I continued walking with this big grin on my face...rather pleased that a problem had been solved. Walking down the street with a big grin is not normal in West-Friesland...someone could call the boys with butterfly nets, and wearing white uniforms; do you know what I mean? I resolved to do a bit of research when I got home, because while visually quite different; in terms of colour, there was an unmistakable similarity in posture, sounds and other things. Both birds are members of the Turdidae, or thrush family. The European merel (blackbird) is the Turdus merula, and the North American "cousin" is the Turdus migratorius. As you can see in the Latin name of the Robin, it is migratory. So is the European bird actually, but to a lesser degree. There are even some regions where they do not migrate at all. These birds eat the same things--primarily berries, insects and worms, although I have heard that they will eat anything, in a manner of speaking. Both of these birds build the same kinds of nests with grass, rough , little twigs, leaves and mud. They are deep and lined with finer plant material for softness. They both can find the most inventive of places to build their nests. Both birds lay from 3-5 eggs which are incubated by the female. They hatch in about 14 days. Both male and female then feed the young. The colour of the eggs is somewhat different with the robin's being pure sky blue and the merel's being a more lighter, faded sort of blue and with brownish speckles. I see a similarity in the head shape of the two birds, although the colouring is different. Like the beaks and those eyes. The posture of the two birds look identical to me. The songs of both are deep and rich, as well as melodious-- although different. The sounds of their alarm calls are also different, but sort of similar. Other obvious differences are plumage colour of adults and juveniles, and the egg shells, as I have mentioned. First the American Robin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKZxCu5vn8s Then the European Blackbird (merel) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWeusAm_V8c Now some alarm calls...the Blackbird (merel): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAX5dyu6kkw ...and then, the American Robin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_iq4j6pSUI It is not the same bird, to be sure...but birds that I like very much. American robins are sometimes blown off course and land in places along the British coast (where they are protected) and in a few other European countries, but I have never seen one here. And now, just when I thought that I was getting it all straight there is this one other aspect to this bird-brained posting that I would like to draw your attention to: What's in a name? To begin with, we have the American Robin...in Great Britain they have a bird THEY call, "Robin", but it is about ¼ the size. Here in Nederland, we call this little bird, roodborstje, or "red breast "(like the Americans sometimes call THEIR robin, "Robin Red Breast"). So, all in all, there are three birds that share the same name, but are all different birds. The roodborstje (European Robin's Latin name is Erithacus rubecula, so it isn't even in the same family as the other two!...I think that this is what folks mean by the term, "Double-Dutch". None of the photos and bird songs that I have used in this posting are mine, they were taken from various places on the internet and used for the purpose of illustration. I wonder what Darwin would have made of these birds.
Sjoerd, you have an interesting in depth observation on birds that have filled a similar environmental niche. Have you an interest in ornithology? Jerry
Hi Bippers-- Thanks for your spontaneous-sounding reaction. Glad you found the posting interesting. DAISY--So nice that you liked this posting. yes, I know very well that you are fond of robins. I was curious what you would think of this. Thanks foir your remarks, JERRY--I do indeed have an interest in orinthology and have made it a point to notice birds in whatever land I would visit. I have done some casual birdwatching in various placves when the time allowed, but I have never been able to commit myself to it in a way that I would have liked. I am making plans now to actively become involved in the care and monitoring of birds in my country...but that is what we call, "toekomstmuziek". Plans for the future, that is.
I just listened again to the bird calls... the merel has a clever singing style, doesn't he? The robin alarm clip has that chup-chup call that I hear them make in my yard at feeding time and when the fledglings are out and about.
You know, Miz Daisy--you could become a good bird person with observations like that. The merels here make their "chups" when one or another cat is in the area of their nest or fledglings. Both birds apparantly have several sets of calls or songs that they employ.
I love the blackbird's song. It's very varied. Denmark had one that whistled the opening line from "I'm a Barbie girl". The ornotholigists claim that the innovative singers get the finest "bird". We've got the European robin in our garden, and I think they're my favourite bird. They hop around us when we work in the garden, and are frequent guests to the feeders in winter. It's also got a lovely song, and I adore watching it sitting in a tree top singing to it's heart's content.
Yes, the blackbirds sure do have many and varied songs here as well. Thanks for the tip about what to do to get the best birds...I shall give it a try--who knows, I may be able to pull a bird with a good whistle. Yes, I really like the European Robing too. I have a regular visitor in the flower garden this wintewr. There were two at one point--two males! Naturally one would chase the other when he caught him filching the seeds.
Very interesting post Sjoerd. I like your little roodborstje. I belong to a "Birds in the Garden" group on another website and it is interesting to learn about birds that we do not see in our area of the country. Even within the United States there are many variations of the same bird. We have a few members from Australia and who post their beautiful birds, fun to see and learn about.
WOw!! Interesting post Sojerd. When I read the part that you mentioned Darwin, "The Voyage of the Beagle" came straight to my mind, one of the most interesting book I ever read.
great thread sjoerd! you've peeked my interest! before living here, i lived in Maine on the coast and enjoyed all kinds of birds. when i moved to western Washington state, i was enthralled with the birds there. they all, or most of them, had little caps on their heads!!! the blue jays, etc... not sure if the robins do, now that i think of it. i'm going to have to check them out this spring. do you remember, in your travels, seeing the same birds as on the east coast, but with little caps on their heads on the west coast? west coast blue jay... http://lh4.ggpht.com/_xHQ_Y_Za8ZM/SkuE7 ... Qg/065.JPG east coast blue jay... http://farm1.static.flickr.com/102/2713 ... 37f83c.jpg
Thanks very much, GAIL--I imagine that you get to see many different birds in that group of yours. Oh my--and if you have Ozzies in your group they will have supplies quite a few pics of birds that would be strange and exotic to your eyes, I am sure. The flora and fauna in that country is just spectacular and unique in some cases. Thanks, KK--I have read that Voyage of the Beagle too. I read it when I was a child and found it fascinating. I remember thinking how much I would have liked to have been ON that boat. Good to hear BUNKIE-- thanks for your nice comment. The robins do not have a pointy tuft like the jays and gray titmice, but you can see the feathers "stand up" if they are excited, just not in a point. I cannot recall seeing the two kinds of jays that you have shown. I do recall a bird that inhabited campgrounds in Alaska called a "Camp Robber", or "Gray Jays", which could be in the same family (although I think not) as the other two that you mentioned. The Camp Robber was mostly gray as I remember and did not seem at all afraid of people. I am not sure if this bird had a tuft or not. Thanks again for your interesting reaction to my posting Re: the info and links.
A fascinating and extremely interesting post Sjoerd. :-D Both the American Robin and the European Blackbird certainly have many things in common. Even their Latin names prove that they are, indeed, more closely related than our robin is to the American one. European Blackbird: Turdus Merula. American Robin: Turdus Migratorius. Our countryside ranger, Hugh, says that you can tell where one of our blackbirds comes from simply by listening to its song. They incorporate certain sounds into their territorial repertoire which can only be from certain regions. He swears that the ones from up Scotland sound totally different from those of the English, Welsh and Irish. I have to admit that I think he's right as the 'English' birds I've heard singing do have certain variations that our Scottish ones don't. Amazing!!
It was interesting seeing your photos of the eggs for both birds. The robins eggs I've seen over the years in my region seem to be colored more inbetween the 2 colors shown. Wonder if their are some regional differences? Great observations and post :-D
