Robins And Migration

November 23, 2025

A Robin (Turdus migratorius) in late November, here in Virginia.

Ask an American Robin if it migrates and you might get a deep sigh and then a long stretched out, “Well . . .”

Seems it is a tossup, in part depending on food availability and weather conditions. Many stay put in their breeding grounds with no migration at all. Others will head south, but only quite a short distance to spend the winter. What I see here in central Virginia is a nomadic tendency, flocking together to find abundant food and water sources, often with Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum).

So seeing a Robin does not mean it is spring.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.