Robin (Turdus migratorius) Spotted

Luke Williams writes,

Teri Wing of Haines, Alaska had a robin land in her yard on January 11, 2018. Robins don't normally start showing up around here until late March on into April. The Temperature outside that day was around -2 Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -17f and it was clear skies out.

LEO says:

American Robins are normally seen in Alaska during the summer months for their breeding season. However, in the past several years, some communities have reported seeing migratory birds earlier than normal. Also in Haines, song birds were observed singing during a warm March in 2015. In January of 2017, Port Graham residents also observed the early arrival of American Robins. According to an Alaksa Public Media Article, "Bethel Receives an Unusual Winter Visitor – A Robin", Bethel residents observed robins in the community during December, 2014 - following one of the warmest November months on record.

This observation has been forwarded on to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for more information.

Resources:

Alaska Department of Fish & Game – Bird Viewing: American Robin - Alaskan children like to keep a lookout for that “first robin” of spring. While some scientists say robin’s spring migration follows the northward creep of 36ºF average temperatures, others believe the availability of food plays a greater role than temperature. Indeed, some Alaskan communities find robins sticking around for the winter foraging for left-over berries. While most robins do migrate south, some also stay, usually during milder winters. Source: ADF&G Alaska's Backyard Birds — American Robin

iNaturalist – American Robin, The American robin begins to breed shortly after returning to its summer range. It is one of the first North American bird species to lay eggs, and normally has two to three broods per breeding season, which lasts from April to July. Source: iNaturalist.org, taxa Turdus migratorius, Typical Thrushes

• eBird Range Map – American Robin Turdus migratorius Jan-Apr, 2014 to 2018

Video:

All About Birds guide – American Robin (Turdus migratorius) YouTube video below by David O. Brown | Search the Macaulay Library online archive for more sounds and videos, watch more of our birds videos on our Youtube Channel, LabofOrnithology

Source: All About Birds guide: "Adult calling near nest"