I always thought that the song “The Red Red Robin Goes Bob-Bobbin’ Along” referred to the European/British Robin rather than the American Robin. But I discover it is not: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Red%2C_Red_Robin_%28Comes_Bob%2C_Bob%2C_Bobbin%27_Along%29
Which prompts me to ask: US Robins really do look kind of dorky with their bob-bob-bob little jumps and, especially, their sort-of clueless pauses in between.
Do EU+British Robins bob? Are they dorky?
Every evening when we sit out on our front stoop, we watch the robins bob-bob-bobbin’ along in our front lawn, looking for bugs. Interestingly, when they cross flat concrete surfaces, they walk without the slightest hint of hopping. What’s up with that?
…
We observed tonight that the Northern Cardinal¹, unlike the Robin, does not stroll across a flat surface. It bopped the same way on our driveway as it does on the short-cut grass in our lawn.
More research is needed.
¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_cardinal
Northern cardinal - Wikipedia
List of U.S. state birds - Wikipedia
@soulcutter Including mine. (Illinois) It’s an attractive bird and its nearest rival, the bluejay, has a much worse personality.
Brian Marick
Bradley Schaefer