Jake Harper
Baby robins don't look identical to their parents, but they do share some similarities. Newly hatched robins have spotted brown bodies and heads, with lighter underparts. They are born without feathers, and their skin may appear yellowish in bright light. After about three days, feathers start to show, and by 10 days, their bodies are mostly covered. After leaving the nest, robin chicks stay close by with their parents for up to three weeks. It's not until late summer, when they're between two and three months old, that juvenile robins get their iconic red breasts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Similarity to adult robins | Baby robins look similar to adults but lack the red bib |
| Body colour | Spotted brown bodies and heads with lighter underparts |
| Eye development | Eyes closed from hatching until about 5 days old, fully open by 8 days old |
| Feathers | Born without feathers, feathers start showing in 3 days, body mostly covered in feathers by 10 days |
| Size | Similar size to adult birds |
| Nest departure | Leave the nest between 13-16 days after hatching |
| Red breast | Juvenile robins get their red breasts when they are between 2 and 3 months old |
| Diet | Baby robins eat worms, insects, and berries |
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What You'll Learn
- Baby robins are born altricial, requiring parental care and feeding
- Chicks are born without feathers, developing them in the first three days
- Robins leave the nest between 13 and 16 days after hatching
- They remain nearby for up to three weeks, learning from their parents
- Baby robins are colourful, with yellowish skin and reddish livers
Baby robins are born altricial, requiring parental care and feeding
Both male and female robins care for their chicks, but the female does most of the work in the early days, removing the eggshells from the nest and incubating the eggs for around two weeks. After the chicks hatch, the female may continue to sleep outside the nest, only returning to feed the chicks. This is to avoid attracting predators to the nest.
After about two weeks, the chicks are the same size as their parents, and their eyes are fully open. At this point, they are able to recognise their parents' voices and appearances. The chicks usually leave the nest after about 13 to 16 days, but they remain nearby, and their parents continue to feed them for up to three weeks. During this time, the chicks practice flying and hopping and they start to learn from other adult robins.
Baby robins look similar to adults but lack the distinctive red breast of adult robins. Instead, they have spotted brown bodies and lighter underparts. This similarity to adult robins can make it difficult to distinguish between them, but the lack of a red breast is a key identifier of a baby robin.
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Chicks are born without feathers, developing them in the first three days
Baby robins are born altricial, or undeveloped, and are initially featherless, with their eyes closed for about five days. They are born pink and will start to show feathers around three days after hatching, but it will take around ten days for their bodies to be mostly covered in feathers. During this time, the parents will feed the chicks by regurgitating partly digested food. After about five days, the chicks will be fed earthworms, which the parents break into small mouthfuls.
Baby robins are ready to leave the nest when they are about 13 days old, and they will fledge from their nests around 14-16 days after hatching. They will stay nearby with their parents for up to three weeks post-fledging, with the males predominantly caring for fledglings while the females prepare for the next brood. The chicks will be capable fliers just 10-15 days after fledging.
Baby robins look similar to adults but lack the red breast of adult robins. Instead, they have spotted brown bodies and lighter underparts. It is not until late summer, when the birds are between 2 and 3 months old, that juvenile robins get their red breasts due to a partial moult.
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Robins leave the nest between 13 and 16 days after hatching
Baby robins do not look identical to their parents. They have spotted brown bodies and heads, and their underparts are lighter compared to older birds. They are born without feathers and are mainly pink in colour, taking around three days for feathers to start showing. It takes around 10 days for their bodies to be mostly covered in feathers. They also lack the red breast of adult robins.
Baby robins require a lot of care and attention from their parents. For the first four days, the parents feed them by regurgitating food, before moving on to small pieces of earthworms. Both the mother and father robin take turns to feed their young, delivering 100 to 150 meals a day to the nest.
Baby robins are ready to leave the nest when they are between 13 and 16 days old. They are usually unable to fly straight away and can take a couple more days to do so. During these first few days outside of the nest, fledgling robins will stay close by and their parents will continue to protect and feed them.
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They remain nearby for up to three weeks, learning from their parents
Baby robins do not look identical to their parents. They have spotted brown bodies and heads, and lighter underparts. They are born without feathers, and it takes around three days for feathers to start showing. It will take around 10 days for the baby robin's body to be mostly covered in feathers. They also lack the distinctive red bib of adult robins.
Once baby robins hatch, they are fed and cared for by their parents. For the first four days of life, baby robins are fed regurgitated food by their parents. From around five days old, they are fed small pieces of earthworms, and soon after, they are given whole worms and bugs. Each baby robin may eat its weight in insects, worms, and berries in a day.
Baby robins are born with their eyes closed. Their eyes start to open after around five days, and they are usually fully open by eight days old.
After leaving the nest, baby robins stay nearby with their parents for up to three weeks. During this time, they continue to be fed and cared for by their parents. They practice flying and hopping about. They also learn from their parents, such as how to find food and identify danger. It takes baby robins around 10 to 15 days to become strong fliers and independent birds.
Baby robins are weak and helpless when they hatch, and their parents have the exact right instincts for taking care of them. The parents will also protect the nest and the baby robins from potential dangers. For example, the parents will remove the baby robins' fecal sacs from the nest to prevent predators from finding the nest.
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Baby robins are colourful, with yellowish skin and reddish livers
Baby robins are born altricial, meaning they are undeveloped and require parental care and feeding. They are born without feathers and have closed eyes, with transparent skin and a translucent skull. Underneath their skin, you can observe the greenish gall bladder, purplish-red liver, and orange yolk sac. As the baby robin grows, bright yellow areas emerge, indicating fat deposits. Down feathers start to grow around three days after birth, and the eyes begin to open after about five days, fully opening by the eighth day.
Baby robins are initially pink in colour, with small, bright yellow beaks. As they develop, new feathers emerge, displaying a grey-brown colour. By the time they are ready to leave the nest, usually around two weeks after hatching, their weight can increase from an average of 6.6 grams to about 56 grams. At this fledgling stage, their colours are similar to those of adult robins, but duller, with brown spots on their muted orange breasts.
Baby robins lack the distinctive red breast of adult robins, instead having spotted brown bodies and lighter underparts. This lack of the red bib is the most noticeable difference between baby and adult robins. Baby robins also have bulging eyes that appear larger due to their lack of feathers.
Baby robins are dependent on their parents for nourishment. For the first four days, the parent birds regurgitate partially digested food, such as insects, worms, and other small invertebrates, into the baby's mouth. From the fifth day onwards, the parents start to break up earthworms into small mouthfuls, gradually transitioning to whole worms and large insects. Each young robin may consume 14 feet of earthworms during their two-week nest life, even though worms are not their primary food source.
Baby robins grow rapidly and can reach the size of their parents within two weeks. They remain in the nest for at least nine days to 16 days, after which they jump from the nest and start practising flight. It takes them another 10 to 15 days to become strong fliers and independent birds. During this time, the parents continue to feed them, and the babies learn from their parents' behaviours.
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Frequently asked questions
Baby robins do not look identical to their parents. They have spotted brown bodies and heads, and lighter underparts. They are born without feathers, and it takes around 10 days for their bodies to be mostly covered. They also lack the red breast of adult robins.
Baby robins typically fledge the nest around 14 days after hatching, but they are usually unable to fly straight away. It can take another 10-15 days for them to become strong fliers and independent birds.
Baby robins recognise their parents by sight and sound. They also know their parents have arrived with food by the "bounce" they feel on the nest, and on sunny days, by the shadow their parents cast.
For the first few days of a baby robin's life, its parents feed it by regurgitating food. After about five days, the parents start giving them small pieces of earthworms, followed soon after by whole worms and large insects.
