05/29/2026
Fun (I think?) Fact Friday. 🪹🪺🐣
Okay, so you’ve probably figured out that we like animals around here. Well, a Mama Robin was attempting to build her nest on the top of one of our porch posts on a windy day. 💨 We witnessed her bring pieces, stack them, fly away to gather more, and return only to find her original pieces blown to the ground. 🪹
Tyler looked at me and said, “Should we help?” I said, “Probably should.” So, Tyler installed 2 screws as a sort of backboard for the Mama Robin to use for her nest. It worked. She hatched 4 little babies. 🐣
We would sit on the porch and watch as she fed these babies each day.🪱 It was mesmerizing, until one day, when I saw her eat p**p right out of her baby’s butt. 💩 I thought, no way, that did NOT just happen, as I about lost my lunch. 🤢 Then, it happened again and Tyler and I both saw it happen. We both looked at each other in pure horror. What in the world is going on Mama Robin?
So, of course, the bird nerd that I am did some research to see if our Mama Robin was a little cray cray or if this was normal. And what I discovered was quite interesting. 🧐
This is normal behavior for Robins. The babies excrete f***l sacs, which is p**p wrapped in a membrane, kind of like a disposable diaper. The Mama Robin either eats the f***l sac or carries it away for disposal for a couple of reasons:
1. Nutritious Waste: In the first few days, baby birds don’t fully digest their food. So, the parent birds eat the waste to increase their own energy and nutrients. Once the babies’ digestion systems develop, the parents simply carry the f***l sacs away for disposal. 💩
2. Nest Hygiene and Safety: Immediately removing the p**p (and I mean immediately, straight from the bum 🤢), keeps the nest clean and decreases smelly odors that could attract predators. 🦝
So, Facebook removed all fun songs (at least for me they did) so I can’t attach the song I want to for this post. Please pretend the song by the one and only Reba McEntire is playing, “Oh, a single mom who works two jobs, Who loves her kids and never stops, With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter, I'm a survivor.” 🎶 Tyler sang it as soon as he saw it happen 💩 and it became the official theme song for this little Robin Mama. 😄☺️
All 4 babies have spread their wings and flown from the nest. Mama Robin was successful. ✔️
Well there ya have it. We have a newfound respect for Robins. They really, truly commit. 💩
