They tend to eat more worms in the morning and then choose more fruits and berries later in the day. However, their diet can vary not just throughout the year but throughout the day. In the summer, worms make up between 15% and 20% of a robin's diet, and they can eat as much as 14 feet of earthworms in a day, Bird Feeder Hub reports. While they have varied diets, worms are their preferred food when they are available. They aren't big nut and seed eaters, but they may occasionally be seen nibbling on them. In addition to worms, they eat insects as well as berries and other fruits. Robins are actually omnivorous, eating both plant and animal matter, according to Bird Feeder Hub. Robins are often up before the sun, and they are famous for their taste for earthworms, but they eat a lot more than just worms. The old saying 'the early bird gets the worm' isn't specifically about robins, but no one would blame you if you thought it was. They are among the first to start singing out for a mate in late winter and early spring. And keep an ear out for male cardinals singing their song from on high. Turkey vultures are also among the earliest spring arrivals. So what birds are a sign that spring is starting to creep in? Among the first to arrive back on their breeding territory each spring are male red-winged blackbirds. They also tend to be quieter in winter, so they draw less attention to themselves. In the winter, robins tend to gather in flocks of hundreds or even thousands of birds, and they often spend their time in more forested areas, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We tend not to see them as often in winter, however, because they disappear from our lawns and local parks, where they are a common sight in spring and summer. Some robins do migrate south, but many stay on their breeding grounds year-round because they have access to a stable food supply. When you think of spring, robins probably quickly come to mind, but in reality many robins stick around all year. Their eggs are a light blue color - robin's egg blue - that has inspired many a color name, from crayons to paints.

They can have two or three broods of chicks each season, with each nest containing three to five eggs, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Robins breed early in the spring, earlier than many other songbirds. Key characteristics of thrushes include scaleless legs and narrow bills, according to Bird Feeder Hub. Other thrushes we see in northern Illinois include eastern bluebirds, gray catbirds and northern mockingbirds. Robins belong to the thrush family of birds, and they are the largest thrush.

Red robin bird