Fast fact: American robins

Robins love to eat earthworms, but they actually eat a lot more than just worms. They eat worms in the spring and summer, but they also eat a variety of insects and snails during the warmer part of the year. In the fall and winter, when it’s colder, they eat more fruits. They’ve also been known to occasionally eat small rodents like shrews and even small snakes.

Worms might seem like an odd choice for a favorite food because they aren’t easy to find. However, robins have excellent vision and can see the worms as they poke above the surface and can also see changes in the soil as they are moving around just below the surface.

RELATED: The Backyard Birds of Will County 

An American robin. (Photo by Anthony Schalk)