Jim Butcher, age 11, of Pint Pleasant, West Virginia, for his question:

How far south do the robins fly?

Some of our robins do not migrate with the seasons. They are permanent residents of California and also in a wide belt across the continent, from Washington D.C. to just north of the Gulf Coast. In late fall, these homebodies are visited by flocks of relatives who have spent the summer season through a wide range as far north as Alaska. Other migrating robins fly on farther south.

Many of these spend the winter in Arizona, New Mexico and southern Texas. Others winter in Florida and the Gulf states. However, some of our robins cross the border and fly down to Mexico. As far as we know, this is as far south as they go. Apparently robins are hardy birds who prefer their northern ranges    at least for as long as it is possible to find worms and such. They are among the last birds to leave us in the fall and among the first to return in the spring.