Robins in Hillsboro apparently ready for spring
Robins have built a nest in a Hillsboro resident's tree. (Photos courtesy of Letcher Langston)
Letcher Langston of Hillsboro reported Friday that robins are active in the Highland County area, despite the fact that it is Jan. 26 and the weather was below freezing last week.
Langston said that robins have been flying around his yard and have built a nest. He also found an egg that had fallen out of the nest.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, “Robins can and do roost in the state through the winter, especially if it is a mild one; those that overwinter in Ohio are more abundant in the southern portions of the state.”
However, laying eggs in late January is more unusual, ODNR said.
“Robins are monogamous breeders, and breeding activity peaks in April, June and July,” the ODNR website says. “There are 3-4 eggs in a brood, and they typically incubate for 13 days. The young hatch from late April through July, and the young are altricial (they require their parents' care). In a typical year, robins produce two broods, although three broods is not uncommon.”
