67. The Robin

Did you know that the robin, that harbinger of spring, is American? Oh sure, you can read British works that mention the robin, but that little bird in Britain is not the same bird. The American Red Breasted Thrush is our robin, not some sparrow sized white and red breasted beauty. I didn’t know that until I went to England over thirty years ago. Apparently our forefathers who came to this continent from England saw our little red breasted friend in the spring and he was the closest equivalent to their homesick longings for spring in England and they gave that name, robin, to him.

It’s really amazing how many things we have in this part of the world that we just think are everywhere but in reality they are a distinctive part of our continent and quite often, more particularly, our country. I know people don’t often think of that, but now, as we begin to approach winter and those little tweeting friends that drive our cats crazy begin to leave for warmer climates of the south, remember that they are specific to our part of the world. The robin, American Red Breasted Thrush, is specific to us. Just one more thing we Americans have to be thankful for. And I, for one, am thankful for all those robins in my back yard.