My family raised a robin when I was a teenager (our cat brought it in, it
was just a baby!). When it was fully fledged, to teach it hunting skills,
we'd put his cage outside on the grass, and take the bottom out. At first
we had to seed the ground with worms, once he realized what was up we didn't
have to. This robin definitely appeared to be listening. He couldn't make
quick sprints, he was confined in a space too small to sprint. He would
turn his head so that his ear was facing down towards the ground, listen
without moving for a moment, then make a quick stab with his beak and come
up with a worm. Judging from the way he cocked his head, (a lousy position
for watching for predators), I have to believe he was listening, and quite
intently.

.. . . and yes, if anyone is curious, we were successful in being able to
release that bird in the wild, and presume he did okay. We managed to raise
and release several wild birds (my mother was known as the patsy who
wouldn't turn away an injured bird), my favorite being an absolutely
bequiling Blue Jay, who I know did okay because he came back to visit us the
next year.

Anita M. Jacobson
amjacobson at amjacobson.com
resume: http://www.amjacobson.com/resume/
gallery: http://members.home.net/amjacobson/


> -----Original Message-----
> From: TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu
> [mailto:TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of Bob Mauritsen
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 4:00 PM
> To: MBlanchrd at aol.com; tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: Robins
>
>
> I don't think there's much truth in it, but there is a sort of
> explanation that I've heard, that goes like this: The robins
> make their quick sprints so as to "sound like raindrops hitting
> the ground" and then stop to see if any worms are stupid enough
> to believe it. Presumably only worms that have lived through a
> rain shower would respond to this - I don't know. :)
>
> bob mauritsen
> Green Lake
> Seattle
> bluetooth at csi.com
>
>
> MBlanchrd at aol.com wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hi, Tweeters,
> >
> > At the risk of beginning another thread, (I'm not sure if it's
> been done before).....
> > Today, my coworkers, knowing I'm a birder, asked me that age
> old question..are robins LOOKING for worms, or LISTENING for
> worms? We watched as several robins found worms in what I thought
> was soil far too compacted.
> >
> > One of my co-workers even theorized that the robins can feel
> the vibrations of the worms through their (the robins) feet.
> >
> > I can't answer their question, because I've always wondered,
> too.....how do robins find worms?
> > Anyone out there want to tackle this?
> >
> > Michelle
> > MBlanchrd at aol.com
>