Saturday Morning Special: On Saturday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to noon, stop by and take advantage of our 3-hour sale on bird spinners by Premier. These spinners come in many designs and are made of the highest quality patented Solartex fabric that resists fading, even in the toughest weather conditions. Save 25% on any spinner during this 3-hour sale. Shop early, this special ends at noon. No exceptions!

Watch the garden after turning over the soil this spring, and you will see worms, which means that very soon you will see the American Robin arriving for a meal. The American Robin (Turdis migratorius) is a large migratory songbird in the thrush family that is commonly found running across the lawns in suburban yards and parks. They are active during the day, and are often the first birds singing at dawn as they leave flocks formed in the evening.

American Robins are considered permanent residents of Missouri. Robins breed throughout North America, as far north as Alaska, and those living in the northernmost regions will overwinter along the Gulf Coast and Mexico, returning to their breeding grounds in February and March. American Robins are a vagrant species in Britain and Europe. The European Robin inhabits that region of the world, but is smaller than the American Robin, and the two are not closely related. The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Invertebrates are the largest part of the American Robin diet, followed by fruits and berries when in season. They are commonly seen foraging on the ground for beetles, grubs, worms, and caterpillars. While hunting they will stand perfectly still and watch for movement in grass and foliage; Robins do not use their hearing in pursuit of prey.

American Robins are usually the earliest spring breeders. The female builds a cup nest from long, course grass, twigs, paper, and feathers. smeared with mud and cushioned with grass and other soft materials. They will have two, and perhaps three, broods per season, and will build a new nest for each. Three to five eggs are incubated by the female for 14 days. Young fledge in about 14 days, and they are able to fly well approximately 14 days after the fledge. The young are protected from predators by both parents, but only 25% survive the first year. The average life span in the wild is two years.

The IUCN conservation status of the American Robin is Least Concern (LC). Conversion of woodlands into suburban neighborhoods does not seem to have affected Robin populations, as they seem to be comfortable living, breeding, and feeding among people. Current estimates place ~320 million American Robins in North America. Robins are carriers of West Nile Virus, but live longer than infected crows and jays.

Robins have contributed to human culture in America and Europe. "Robin" has been used as a human name for both boys and girls, but more often for girls. In the 1990's it was the 325th most popular name for girls and the 693rd most popular name for boys. "Rockin' Robin" was a song written by Leon Rene (under the pseudonym Jimmy Thomas) in 1958, and was initially recorded by Bobby Day and covered many other since then, including Michael Jackson in 1982 and Paul Anka in 2005. "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along" was written by Harry M. Woods in 1926 and a hit for Al Jolson and others.

The characteristic blue color of Robin eggs is commonly used as a clothing color, is found on color palettes in paint stores, and is an official Crayola color. "Red Robin" is the name of a restaurant chain.

Numerous Native American and European legends propose the origin of the characteristic red color of the Robin's breast. One story has a robin plucking a thorn from the temple of Jesus on the way to Calvary, when a drop of blood fell on his chest and turned it red. Another story says that Robins carry dew to quench the thirst of sinners in hell, and the heat turned their breasts red. Several legends describe Robins starting fires and fanning them with their wings, with the resulting heat turning their breast feathers red. According to Native American legend the Robin plays a critical role among birds, communicating to other birds when spring has begun and it is time to build nests.

See YouTube video of an American Robin singing, eating a worm, feeding young , and protecting its nest.

Read more about the American Robin at:

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• eNature.com
• US Geological Society
• Audubon Society of Missouri
• Kidzone
• associatedcontent.com
• FirstPeople
• Children's Verse
• h-net.org

New Products and Special Savings in April!
10% off to e-Newsletter Customers Only!

• Effortless Birdfeeder. You have to see this one. Advertised in many popular nature magazines, the effortless feeder is just that. It comes with a pole, squirrel baffle, large seed tray, and rain guard. The feeder lowers itself down the pole when it is time to fill or clean, making these tasks a breeze. Visit effortlessbirdfeeder.com and view the video.
• Spring/Summer t-shirts are in. We have some lovely styles of t-shirts featuring birds and butterflies. Shop early, while the selection is best
• Solar Water Wiggler. For those of you who love using the Water Wiggler in your bath, but hate the idea of changing the batteries. The new Solar-powered Water Wiggler is just out and is proving to be a big hit.

Free Delivery--Not everyone enjoys getting out to run errands in the cold weather. If you would like to have your seed delivered to your home, give us a call. We'd be happy to help!

Our April Products of the Month are window feeders . There are many attractive feeders for hummingbird nectar and seeds that attach to windows and bring the action up close. Everyone from children to seniors will enjoy the opportunity to watch a bird feeder from the comfort of their homes. These feeders attach easily and reliably to windows through high-quality suction cups. They are easy to clean, easy to fill, and bring the enjoyment of watching the birds a bit closer to home.

During April, all window feeders are 20% off the regular price for our e-news subscribers. Print this page as your coupon.

The answer to the March Species Quiz (left picture) is the Northern Goshawk. What is the species in the picture on the right? Answer in the May e-Newsletter.

April Birding News.

Birds to look for in April include Robins, Cardinals, Eastern Towhees, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, American Goldfinches, and Blue Jays. This is arrival month for House Wrens and Hummingbirds. Watch your feeders and your yard for unusual species now, as many rare warblers are migrating through this month.

Best Seeds to feed in April: A good spring mix will have Black Oil Sunflower as the number one ingredient. A good rule of thumb is 60% sunflower. If you have more trees, add more sunflower. Steer clear of any mix that contains milo. By mid-month, cut back on the millet, as the Juncos and most of our good sparrows are leaving. Excess millet may overwhelm your yard with doves and House Sparrows. Common Grackles can sometimes show up in abundance during the early summer. If they are present at your feeders, try switching to all Safflower seed to discourage them.

This month, many birds begin nesting. The time they spend nesting reduces their ability to forage for food, so a well-stocked feeder is always welcome. You may notice more birds at the feeders as the month progresses. If you have offered suet through the winter, continue to do so this month, as many woodpeckers, nuthatches, and Carolina Wrens love to feed on the high-energy suet during their nesting season. Many nesting birds need added calcium in their diet, so our Calcium suet is an ideal choice to help them produce strong eggshells.Who’s Nesting in April: Robins, Bluebirds, Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, and Woodpeckers

This Month’s Hint – Getting ready for Hummingbirds. Most years, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds make their way to St. Louis near the end of April (you can follow their progression north at www.hummingbirds.net.) This year is very unusual as there have already been some very early sightings of hummingbirds in the St. Louis area. Although most folks have not yet seen them, it may be wise to get your feeders out now just in case a hungry bird passes by.

Kids’ Project for April: Prevent Window Strikes. Conservative estimates say that as many as one billion birds are killed in the United States each year due to window strikes. In most incidents the death is instantaneous, and many people mistakenly believe that if a bird hits a window and is able to fly away, it will survive. In research studies, at least half of these incidents resulted in the eventual death of the bird. Prevent window strikes around your home by identifying which windows are most susceptible to this problem and work to eliminate it. There are many solutions available to break up the reflections on windows that cause birds to hit them. Remember that every solution needs to be applied to the outside of the window, not the inside. Colorful stickers are wonderful; try some fun window clings and let your kids apply them while teaching them how we are helping the birds. We have some stickers in the store that are mostly invisible to the human eye if you want something more modest. The kids can take a bar of soap and make a few circles or x’s on the surface. These marks can easily be erased with water as the sun’s position (and the reflections) change. Scaring birds away with hanging items can work too; kids could tie a string to an aluminum pie plate and hang in front of the window. Experiment with what works for you, but do try to save a life this year by preventing window strikes.

The Birding Number of the Month. According to owls.com, Tawny owls have the best developed eyes of all the owls, indeed of all vertebrates, being probably about 100 times more sensitive at low light levels than our own. This is achieved by having sensitive rods very densely packed on the retina--about 56,000/square mm!

Want to attract more birds to your yard? Have a birding question? Visit Birding Tips on the Wild Bird Center site and Ask Denise.

April Birding Question:
How do I grow grass under my feeder?
You may not be able to grow grass under a feeder that drops inedible seed hulls. Many types of seed hulls, including those from black oil sunflower, contain a natural herbicide that kills grass and prevents new grass from sprouting. Some people collect the hulls and spread them at the bases of fences to control growth of unwanted grass--this also avoids use of toxic herbicides. If you want to grow grass, use a feed that contains no hulls--Hulled Sunflower and Patio Wise are Wild Bird Center seeds that contain no hulls and is 100% edible by the birds. Read more at LaVermesWorms.com and goliath.com .

Do you want to enhance your backyard birding experience and also help neighborhood wildlife? Our birding and habitat authority will visit your yard and assist you with planning and selecting the elements to enhance your backyard birding experience. Shortly after the visit, the Wild Bird Center will provide a complete plan for placement of feeders, baths, and other features to enhance your enjoyment. Consultation fee is $15. Call the store and make an appointment: 314-842-1496.