“When a bird disagrees with a bird book, always believe the bird.” That often-quoted statement of John James Audubon is true when it comes to many avian species, especially when it pertains to the American robin, perhaps the most recognizable species of bird even for people who pay little attention to birds. Today’s blog was inspired by a neighbor who asked why robins have returned already.

I explained that robins are not back already, it’s just that many never left! Robins are the most common false harbingers of spring. With excellent habitat and year-round food sources, many robins never leave Oakland County.