The nesting season begins in April, and two and sometimes three broods are raised. From three to six, but usually four, unmarked pastel blue eggs are laid. The female then incubates her eggs for about two weeks. Both parents tend the nestlings who are ready to leave the nest in about 14 or 16 days. While able to fly to the ground, often they are not yet strong enough to fly back up to safer perches.
Young birds eat mainly insects, as do the young of most birds.
The parents can be seen hopping about lawns and meadows in search of beetles, weevils, ants, grasshoppers, and, particularly, earthworms and grubs. Contrary to what observers have often believed, robins locate earthworms by sight, not by sound, even though the birds cock their heads in a manner that resembles intense listening. When the last brood of the summer has been reared, robins change their habits and haunts. Their cheerful songs are rarely heard now, and they begin to assemble into flocks searching for wild fruits. Robins are thus important distributors and planters of many of our wild fruits.