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How to Identify a Bird That Is Similar to a Robin but With Spots All Over the Front of the Bird

American robins are common on lawns and areas across North America, even being among the first birds you see in late winter. Their dark upper bodies mixed with the burnt, warm orange chest and white throats and bellies gives them an easy-to-identify look, although there are a few species that resemble them. Chances are, though, that the bird you are seeing with spots on its belly is indeed a robin, as immature robins have a heavily spotted chest.

Instructions

- 1
  Look for white crescents or "eyebrows." Male robins have very pronounced white crescents around their eyes that contrast with their almost-black heads. Females also have white markings around their eyes. Immature robins' white eye markings are much paler. Similar birds don't have this white around their eyes, although the varied thrush has an orange stripe above and behind the eye.
- 2
  Look at the beak. Robins have yellow beaks with black tips. The varied thrush has a brown-black bill with a straw-yellowish section at the base of the mandible.
- 3
  Look at the throat. Robins have a white throat (just under the bill and above the warm orange chest) that is streaked with black spots. Other birds do not have this white section; the varied thrush has a black collar on an otherwise rusty-colored chest and throat, the eastern towhee has a black head and throat with a white body and rusty-colored sections on the sides of the belly, and the spotted towhee resembles the eastern towhee but has white spots and streaks on its wings.

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