First, I’m new here, so hi! Also, I’d add that I am completely new to nature observations im general, so maybe this is uninteresting, but it got me excited!
I was on a walk in Louisville, KY this morning and saw dozens of robins accosting this tree holly tree going after berries. It was super cool. I’ve seen huge groups of other birds before, but this was the first time I’ve seen it with robins. Which maybe I just havent been looking before, but I thought robbins were mostly solitary! But after googling a bit, it sounds like they do flock up in the winter after breeding season. Neat! If anyone else knows any other relevant facts about what this sort of flocking, or feeding frenzies are called if anything, I’d love to learn!
American Robins often travel together outside breeding and raising fledglings in my experience. They have to switch from insects and worms to seeds and berries in fall and overwinter. I’ve watched and they seem to get along well, not fighting or crowding like a lot of birdfeeder visitors. I’ve never seen them completely strip a tree of berries, but always leaving some.
Welcome, from a Louisvillian transplanted out West!
Ameican Robins are a lot more social than people give them credit for. I don’t know how typical this is, but I’ve seen instances where they’re out foraging in the spring, digging up grubs and scaring up insects for each other. They might not be my favorite birds, but I have to say that’s some pretty neat behavior.
I’ve often seen large flocks of American Robins, but usually in the Spring, foraging together on lawns. According to Cornell’s All About Birds (always a useful website) they often form flocks in the Fall and Winter, and spend more time in trees, but I’ve not seen that. It’s cool that you did! https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/lifehistory#behavior
I’ve seen flocks of Cedar Waxwings behaving that way, in the Serviceberry trees and shrubs. Fun to watch!
Welcome to the forum! That is a really cool story! Robins are lucky; I can’t eat holly berries, but I guess it is more important for them. So glad you got to see this; birding is often very rewarding, and I hope you get more experiences like this is in the future!
I’ve seen robins doing a lot together, from bathing (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/311375231) to pursuing a Mississippi kite making off with a baby robin (I saw a whole flock pass right over my fence after that kite; sadly they did not succeed), and just foraging around my yard.
They are pretty cool birds!
Look for ornamental crabapple trees and Japanese honeysuckle in your area. They also provide robins with winter food. You may also find some cedar waxwing flocks.
I watch hundreds of robins in winter flying in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park here in Northeast Ohio. Just watch where you park!