American Robins Weren't Always This plentiful

The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut. Early settlers named it a robin because it had a similar red breast to the robins in Europe but the American Robin is actually a thrush, while the European robins are actually related to flycatchers. It used to be said  they were a sign of spring but they have become increasingly plentiful in the winter over the last 50 years -(They tend to eat berries more during the winter while the ground is  frozen).  

During winter bird counts in the 70's they might have tallied up 1000 total robins in Connecticut but now they are recorded by the tens of thousands. Their numbers were also affected in the past by the use of the insecticide DDT but since it was banned, the population of robins has greatly increased. There are tons of robins now but I'm not complaining (except when they declare war on your car). They are a sharp looking bird!