As their name implies, songbirds represent a diverse group of birds known for their singing. Common families of songbirds include finches, tanagers, thrushes, and wrens.

Songbirds, like other passerines, or birds that perch, all have feet with three toes directed forward and one backwards that are flexible and adapted to gripping a perch.

In most songbirds, males sing the "primary song", the series of sounds that is characteristic of specific species, and which is used during the spring and summer in courtship and territory definition.

One of the most widely dispersed songbirds on the continent is the American robin. Easily recognized by their distinctive coloration and song, robins are members of the the thrush family. In breeding plumage, the males have a darker head than females. Immature birds have speckled breasts.

Robins migrate from regions with harsh winters. In milder parts of their range, such as in the Puget Sound area, most stay throughout the winter.

Well-adapted to urban and suburban environments, robins frequently gather in large flocks to search for earthworms on lawns, golf courses, and open fields. Their diet includes insects such as beetles, weevils, and caterpillars. Robins also eat fruit, from grapes and crabapples to holly and mountain ash berries, especially during the fall and winter when other food sources become scarce.

Robins build cup-shaped nests of mud and grasses in trees, under eaves, and on roof gutters. Incubation of three to six characteristically blue eggs is done primarily by the female who may raise two or three broods per summer. The young first fly about two weeks after hatching.

Although songbirds are rarely responsible for property damage, they sometimes manifest behaviors that are perplexing to humans and possibly injurious to themselves.

Songbirds sometimes fly into windows and other reflective surfaces. There are several possible reasons for this. First, the window may reflect nearby shrubbery and trees. Rather than perceiving the glass, birds think they are flying into the reflected branches. The second possibility is that birds can see through the building, especially in rooms with large picture windows which create an illusion of open space. Finally, birds may fly into glass if there are houseplants near the inside windows, or if they see their own reflections.

To prevent all these problems, it is important to make the glass as visible as possible, and to break up the reflection outdoors. Available through catalogues and at bird-feeding specialty stores, black plastic silhouettes of diving hawks can be stuck to the outside of windows as can strips of opaque tape. Move houseplants away from glass, and close curtains over windows and sliding glass doors.

Birds that fly into glass can hurt or even kill themselves. If you find a bird that has been injured by a window hit and is unconscious, or remains stunned after a few minutes, gently pick the bird up in a towel, put in a ventilated box, and keep it warm while you contact the PAWS Wildlife Center (425.787.2500 x817 if you live in King or Snohomish Counties) or another wildlife rehabilitation center serving other areas of western Washington.

During breeding season, male birds become territorial and robins in particular sometimes exhibit a puzzling behavior. Perceiving an intruder when they see themselves in a window or other reflective surface, robins may attack windows. They may peck or fly at the glass repeatedly for several days, or as long as they can see their own reflection. To reduce the reflection, put a bright light inside the window so it will be brighter indoors. It might also help to close drapes or shades, and to temporarily cover the outside window with birdnetting, screen, paper, or fabric until the bird leaves.

Some species of songbird such as robins eat fruit and berries. Protect trees and shrubs with birdnetting secured at the bottom to prevent access from below. Strawberries can be protected with row cover.

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