Juvenile American Robin
Turdus migratorius
American Robin · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 17 June 2026
A fledgling robin not long out of the nest, in the Botanic Garden in mid-June. Robins nest everywhere in the city, two or three broods a summer, and June is full of young ones like this on lawns and paths, still being fed by a parent.
The heavy spotting across a still-pale breast, with rust only starting to show at the flanks, marks the age; the smooth orange breast and adult colour come in over the following weeks. The spotted juvenile plumage is the ancestral thrush pattern. American Robins are unusual among North American thrushes in losing it as adults, while a Wood Thrush keeps its spots for life.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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