The Return of Robins to Their Birthplaces

It appears to be well established that the breeding birds of many migratory passerine species show a marked tendency to return to the same locality in successive breeding seasons.The literature concerning this subject is extensive and has been adequately reviewed by Schenk (1927, 1929b), Schtiz and Weigold (1931), Nice (1937, p. 177), and Groebbels (1937, p. 118).Ample evidence is also to be found among the banding data of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as among those of the various European banding organizations.However, the relation of the breeding locality to the birthplace of the bird has been a matter of considerable controversy.The problem resolves itself into whether or not the young in their first northward migration display a tendency to return to breed at or near their individual birthplaces in a manner similar to the tendency of their parents to return to the breeding locality of the previous year.Knowledge of the degree of development of such a tendency is of obvious interest in the consideration of such problems as the extension of geographic range, isolation of breeding populations, and the differentiation of races and species.This paper is presented not only for its pertinent empirical data and conclusions concerning the Eastern Robin, Turdus migratorius migratorius L., but further to demonstrate how The author wishes to express his thanks to Mr.