The following account of the bird’s song is given by Mr. Bicknell (Auk, i. p. 126) :—“As a
general rule our summer song-birds come to us in the spring in full voice ; but an exception is often
made by the Robin. As a few Robins may be with us all winter, it is not always easy to tell just
when the first spring birds come; but the observations of several years clearly show that, as a rule,
first arrivals are songless. But singing is rarely delayed after the migration has well begun; and
when this has been retarded by untoward weather, and finally starts with fall volume, then the
advance guard are usually song-bearers. My records show a range of over three weeks in the time
of the beginning of song in different years, from February 27 to March 21. Both of these dates are,
however, exceptional, and represent the extremes of an early and late season. Usually singing begins
during the second week of March.
“ The Robin continues well in song up to the middle of July, after which there is usually a
perceptible decrease in the number of singing birds, and the time of singing becomes more restricted
to the marginal hours of the day. My notes of the singing of the Robin in August, though usually
extending through the month, rarely form more than a disconnected record. The inclination towards
song is now declining, and it depends, during the first part of the month largely, and during the
latter part entirely upon favorable conditions, whether there be any song at all. Thus in a season of
drought occasional brief songs in the early hours on favorable days, with intervals of silence, may fill
out the record of the month, whereas a reasonable consecutive record will result from a cool and
wet season.
“ September is eminently their month of silence. Their primary song-period may extend
feebly beyond the end of August, and rarely an imperfect song may be heard in the following month,
but until its latter days silence, excepting the ordinary call-notes, is the general rule.
“ The secondary song-period is introduced with much regularity in different years in the last days
of September. From 1878-81, my record runs: September 27,26,28, 25.. But unfavorable weather
may postpone the beginning of the second song-period until October. . The first songs are usually
subdued and broken, but soon acquire the normal character, and sometimes continue with little
interruption through the month of October; but again there may be an almost complete intermission
between the first or second and final week of the month. Sometimes when this is the case, multitudes,
of the birds arrive from the north about the third quarter of the month, bringing song with them,
and in the last week, if the weather be damp and cloudy, numbers may be heard singing with
almost the freshness and vigor which characterise their song in April.
“ When the vast numbers of Robins which pass southward at this season have departed, the species
rapidly becomes uncommon. Dates of last songs fall between October 21 and November 1. In two
yéars I have no record later than the 8th, but it seems not unlikely that in these years transient
final days of song were missed. It is, however, not improbable that, if'subsequent to the beginning
of autumn song the weather should prove unfavorable, the second song-period may be allowed
to lapse.
“ Through the latter part of August many Robins may be seen flying about, minus remiges and
rectrices, in varying number. Adults of both sexes taken in the second week of October have the
new plumage perfected with the exception of some of the smaller feathers.”
Mr. Ernest'Thompson writes:—“ The song is first heard in the morning when the dawn is well
advanced, the Robin being more tardy to raise the matin song than many of his compeers. It is
heard until the middle of the fore-noon, then usually ceases until near sunset, when it recommences
and continues till dusk. I have not yet noted this species singing by night. If, when singing, the
bird is slightly startled by some noise close at hand, the loud cheery note is stopped, or at least
altered, so that, although the song goes on, it is very faint, and sounds as though coming from a
great distance, and closer inspection will show the bird’s bill to be shut. This was first pointed
out to me by Dr. Brodie, but I have noted the same habit in several other species. The loud
rolling notes will remind Europeans of the voices of the Song-Thrush and-the Blackbird, but there
is a terminal bar of frequent occurrence that recalls the metallic notes of our own Wood-Thrushes
and reminds us of their near kinship to the Red-breasted Fifer ” (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xiii. p. 685).
Mr. Brewster has written (Auk, vii. p. 360) a most interesting account of the roosting-places of
this Thrush during the summer months. It is too long to quote in extenso, but I give some
extracts :—“ Robins, while still in their summer haunts; form roosts which are resorted to regularly
night after night and season after season by hundreds or even thousands. Such gatherings, however,
are by no means uncommon in Massachusetts, and they doubtless occur throughout the entire North,
wherever Robins abound.
“ South of the Charles River, in Longwood, about two and one half miles from the Norton
roost, I found a considerable colony on the evening of Aug. 26, 1884. Their rendezvous was of the
usual character—dense, swampy woods of oak and red maple. I did not again visit this place
until Aug. 22, 1890, when I found that all the trees in the swamp had been killed by inundation.
Nevertheless the Robins had not deserted the woods, but in fully their former numbers were roosting
in a cluster of tall red maples, white oaks, and chestnuts which, standing on a knoll above the reach
of the water, had escaped the fate of their fellows. The entire area covered by the living trees was
not over one quarter of an acre.
“ A.t the Beaver Brook roost Mr. Faxon, with the help of an assistant, counted 1883 incoming
birds on the evening of Sept. 2, 1889. His next largest count, made without help Aug. 28 of the
same year, was 1180. At Melrose Highlands, Mr. Torrey, unaided, counted 1267, July 29, 1889,
and 1517 on the same date in 1890. On July 28, 1890, with an assistant, he counted 2314. In
both cases the assistant stood near his principal and was employed merely to divide the labor no
more ground being covered than on the other occasions.
“ A good many birds approach the roost by short, interrupted flights, lingering on the way in
isolated trees or groves, where they often sing for a minute or two. At the Longwood roost more
than two thirds of the entire colony arrive in this manner, probably because the swamp is in the
bottom of a deep hollow surrounded by hills crowned with woods or orchards which afford convenient
places for alighting.
“ The first comers reach the roost an hour or more before sunset, but for the next thirty or forty
minutes the arrivals are few in number and at wide intervals; although they gradually increase.
There is rarely anything like a continuous or heavy flight until within fifteen or twenty minutes of
sunset, but rather more than half the total number usually pass in before the sun has dipped below
the horizon.
“ For about fifteen minutes after sunset the rush continues unabated. It then begins to slacken,
always diminishing more rapidly than it grew, and often ending with somewhat marked abruptness.
Stragglers, however, continue to arrive until it is too dark to see them distinctly except against the
light in the western sky.
“ The earlier comers usually alight on the topmost twigs of the taller trees and sometimes, after
a brief rest, fly back to the fields to feed, as if conscious that they were ahead of time. If there is a
brook or spring near at hand many birds visit it to drink or bathe. They are also fond of collecting
in the upper branches of dead trees to bask in the last rays of the sinking sun, and a rum cherry tree
loaded with ripe fruit is an irresistible attraction. But when the rush is at its height, there is rarely
any loitering. Each bird, as it gains the woods, plunges into them at once, and with such directness
and decision that one feels sure it has gone straight to its own particular perch. This, however is
evidently not the case, for during the entire period covered by the bulk of the flight, indeed for some
time after the last belated straggler has stolen in, there is incessant and general agitation of the