robin

/ˈrɑbən/

/ˈrɒbɪn/

Other forms: robins

The sweet-sounding, red-chested birds that symbolize the beginning of spring are robins.

There are actually many different birds called robins, and while most share a reddish-orange breast, they're actually distantly related to each other. In the U.S., the bird we think of as a robin is officially the American robin, a kind of thrush. It's the most common land bird in North America, and it's famous for laying eggs very early in the spring — and singing at the crack of dawn. The robin's most deadly predator is the domesticated cat.

Definitions of robin

1. noun

   small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
   synonyms: Erithacus rubecola, Old World robin, redbreast, robin redbreast

   type of:

   thrush

   songbirds characteristically having brownish upper plumage with a spotted breast
2. noun

   large American thrush having a rust-red breast and abdomen
   synonyms: American robin, Turdus migratorius

   type of:

   thrush

   songbirds characteristically having brownish upper plumage with a spotted breast