5 Birds That Look Like Robins | Birds Advice

Birds That Look Like Robins

Some birds have been known to look like robins, especially American robins. Most of these birds have a red or rusty color on their body with a white chest and a big yellowish bill. Some of them have black stripes too. These birds can easily confuse you with Robins by these appearances or similarities.

So, what birds look like American robins? The robin look-alike birds are spotted towhees, varied thrushes, eastern towhees, common redstarts, black-headed grosbeaks, and more. Towhee species look quite similar to American robins.

In this article, we’re going to talks about the characteristics of these birds. We’ll also discuss the similarities and differences between American robins and these birds. You’re going to learn how to differentiate these birds.

We have a few more similar types of articles that may interest you. Check them out here:

Birds That Look Similar to American Robins

01. Spotted Towhee

The Spotted Towhee is one of the most common birds that look like robins but aren’t. Their widespread habitat covers California, Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Southern British Colombia, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and more.

Spotted Towhee Birds Look Like Robins

#Characteristics

  • The average length is about 17-21 cm.
  • Males are mostly black except for the white belly and rufous sides.
  • Female and immatures are slightly brownish.
  • They have shorter necks and pointed bills.
  • Chunky body with a long, rounded tail.

#Similarities

The main similarities between Spotted Towhees and American Robins are blackhead and the orange or reddish-brown color. Both of their tails are long, and the overall length and the body shapes are kind of similar too.

#Differences

There’re a lot of differences you can easily identify if you look closely. Towhees have rufous sides, while the robins are rusty colored. Towhee’s belly is white, while Robin’s rusty color covers the belly and the remaining parts.

The bill of Robin is yellow, while the Spotted Towhee has black. Also, as the name suggests, Towhees have white spots on their wings and back. And the American Robins are comparatively larger than the Towhees.

02. Varied Thrush

The Varied Thrush is a migratory bird that breeds around Alaska, Western Northern America, and Northern California. They prefer mixed forests, parks, backyard gardens for a living. This species is a regular visitor to the Northeast and Upper Midwest during the winter.

Varied Thrush Birds Look Like Robins

#Characteristics

  • Varied thrushes have rounded head and a sturdy thrush build body.
  • They have a straight bill.
  • They have around the same length as Robins.
  • The intense orange color and black feathers are identical.
  • Females and immature ones are slightly brownish, while males are blue-gray.

#Similarities

The commonality between the Varied Thrush and American Robins is their body length and build. Also, the identical burnt orange color on the Varied Thrush can easily confuse you with an American Robin.

#Differences

The Varied Thrush has a more vibrant orange color than the Robins. Also, Varied Thrush has several orange spots on its wings, eye, and back. The sooty-black breastband on the Varied thrush is identical, absent on Robin.

Even though both have a similar average length, the Varied Thrush is comparatively shorter and has a stronger build than the Robins. The tail on the Robins is longer than that of the Varied Thrushes.

03. Eastern Towhee

The Eastern Towhee is the usual around the Eastern USA and south parts of Canada. During the summer, this population is common throughout northern Indiana, southern Iowa, and Illinois. They prefer brushy areas or low bushes in northern America for living.

Eastern Towhee Birds Look Like Robins

#Characteristics

  • It’s a large sparrow species with a long tail and thick bill.
  • The Eastern Towhee’s average length is around 17 to 23 cm.
  • They have rufous sides similar to the Robins.
  • The belly is white with black covering the major upperparts and the head.
  • The female and immature ones are mostly brown in the upper portion.

#Similarities

The most common identical feature between Eastern Towhee and the Robins is their body’s rufous color. Both of their heads and necks are black. The length of their tails is also similar to each other.

#Differences

Eastern Towhee and American Robin have several identical features between them. The rufous color on the Eastern Towhee’s only covers the sides like the spotted towhee. Towhees have white lower parts, unlike the burnt orange covering for Robins.

The bill is triangular and shorter on the Eastern Towhees. Also, the upper body colors are different between these two species. American Robins are comparatively larger than the Eastern Towhees.

04. Common Redstart

The Common Redstart is a passerine bird that looks like Robin but smaller. It’s a migratory bird from the African winter areas. It’s usual in Britain and low land areas of East Europe. Their usual habitats are birch, oak woodland, and low shrub areas.

Common Redstart Birds Look Like Robins

#Characteristics

  • It’s a smaller bird species with an average length of 14 cm.
  • The body shape is long and slim.
  • The common redstart has a wide orange-red tail.
  • Underwing parts are orange-chestnut.
  • White forehead with black face, sides and throat.

#Similarities

The common redstart and robins both have orangish lower parts with white tints. The bill structures of them are kind of look-alike too. Also, the throat of the both species is black.

#Differences

Even though you may mistake the Common Redstart as Robins, you can easily tell their differences with a closer look and observation. Robins are longer than the common redstart.

Redstart has a white forehead, while the Robin has a white circle around its eyes. The black bill of the redstart can be easily differentiated from the Robin. The wide tail of the redstart can’t be found on Robins.

05. Black-headed Grosbeak

The Black-headed grosbeak is a medium-sized bird from British Colombia to the Western half of the USA. They’re also common in central Mexico and the South of Central America. It’s a migratory bird that lives in mixed wooded and deciduous areas.

Black-headed Grosbeak Birds Look Like Robins

#Characteristics

  • Black-Headed grosbeak is a hefty bird with a thick conical bill.
  • The average length is about 17-19 cm.
  • The male has a black head and wings.
  • Females have a brown head, neck, and back.
  • The breast and belly part is a mix of orange and yellow.

#Similarities

The most prominent orange and yellow lower parts are the most confusing point to differentiate this species from the Robins. Even though they’re shorter than the robins, their body shape is quite similar to each other. Also, both of them have blackheads.

#Differences

The rusty-colored breast and belly of the Robins are more vibrant in color than the Black-Headed grosbeak. The white spots on the grosbeak are absent on the Robins. The grosbeak is shorter than the Robins in length.

Final Saying

There’re only a few birds that can confuse you with a Robin. But the most common birds that look like robins are Spotted Towhee, Varied Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Common Redstart, and Black-Headed Grosbeak.

However, if you observe them with a little attention, you can easily tell the difference among these birds. You can also follow this blog and read the similarities and differences to tell them apart.


Image Credit: Canva.com/photos


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *