Please enjoy these photos of my daily documentation of the Mama and baby robins from the day the eggs were laid until the day they leave the nest as fledglings. You may also like our rockin’ robin craft and our paper plate robin craft. Both are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
Last summer, we returned home after 10 days of camping to discover that in our absence, a mother Robin had built a nest in the rafters of our covered deck. Shortly after, she laid 3 eggs, and I set up a ladder close by, and spent the next several weeks getting up close and personal with our baby robins. I was so blessed to get pictures of the babies hatching, of the parents feeding the baby robins, and I even managed to get pictures of the robins leaving the nest.
If the kids want to make a nest of their own, check out our easy paper bag bird’s nest craft.
You can see even more pictures of our baby robins here in this album on my Facebook page.
How many eggs do robins lay?
An American robin typically typically lays 3-4 eggs in her first nesting of the season.
When do robins lay eggs?
A robin may have 2 or 3 broods per season (between April and July), and will usually lay fewer eggs with the 2nd and 3rd nesting. A robin lays one egg per day at mid-morning, and doesn’t sit on her nest to incubate the eggs until all of her eggs have been laid. This way, all of the baby robins start developing at the same time in the eggs.
How long do robin’s eggs take to hatch?
After laying her eggs, a mother robin sits on the nest for about 12-14 days before her babies hatch. I managed to get a photograph of our babies on the day that they hatched, and I photographed their growth every day until they left the nest.
Mama Robin was very trusting and patient as I climbed up and down my ladder, snapping the pictures that you see here.
It was an absolute privilege to watch the miracle of life unfold right before our eyes, and to see the changes that would occur in “our babies” quite literally, overnight.
And it was such a thrill to watch the parents take turns feeding the babies every day. Yes, that’s right… “parents”. Both the mother and father robin feed the babies. They take turns flying in and out of the nest all day long bringing their babies small pieces of worms and bugs.
How long do baby robins stay in the nest?
Baby robins are ready to leave the nest when they’re 13-14 days old.
One evening, two weeks after 2 of the 3 eggs hatched (the 3rd never did), our little ones spread their wings and clumsily left the nest.
Fortunately, we were sitting on the deck when that moment arrived, so I grabbed my camera, and snapped the few pictures of our babies, as they hopped through the grass, and then made their way up into the low branches of a pine tree at the back of our property.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of our baby robins.
We were thrilled when Mama returned again in late spring, and laid three eggs, and then again in July to lay 2 more, allowing us to experience it all for a second and third time, until our babies left the nest and hopped off into the shelter of the pines, once again.
Children’s Books About Robins:
To learn more about robins, and to hear the songs they sing, click here.
Robin Crafts for Kids:
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
katepickle
oooh what a fab experience and what awesome photos!
Liz
Your photos are amazing!
Larry
I am trying to figure out what happened to the nestling Robin’s on my deck. The hatched 2 days ago and I saw them. Now the nest is empty. No sign that it was ever occupied. What happened to the baby birds?
Jackie Currie
Oh no. I’m so sorry they’re gone, Larry. Sadly, a predator probably found them. Squirrels, blue jays and crows are the likely culprits. 🙁