American Robin: Taxonomy

Just today, I discovered a robin's nest nestled on top of an outdoor light fixture at my dad's house. My dad had seen this already and informed me that a tiny, blue eggshell had fallen from it early that morning. I was curious enough to peak over, however was aware that I could be risking both my eyes getting pecked out by the parents (luckily they were gone!); the sight of this newborn bird was awesome. How small and defenseless it is and yet, this is how life begins for all creatures!

Seeing this baby American Robin made me want to know more about their species. The American Robin is widely disbursed throughout N. America and is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin. Like other birds, the males are more vibrantly colored with grayish, black upperparts (head, back and feathers), streaked with occasional white highlights, and a very distinctive reddish-orange breast. The nests are built entirely by the females using long grass, twigs, paper and feathers; and a new nest is built for each set of chicks.

If you've ever wondered what kind of bird is waking you up at 5am with a cheery little melody: it may just be the American Robin. These birds are often first to sing in the morning and last to sing at the day's end.

Classify this animal! Tell me the Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species.