American Robin

Day 357: The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is so very different from what residents of England and Europe know as a robin or robin redbreast. The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is not even related to the thrushes, but rather to the family of Old World flycatchers and chats. You Aussies add another level of complication to the issue of common names. Attempts to introduce the European Robin down under were unsuccessful, and your "robin redbreast" (Scarlet Robin, Petroica boodang) is more closely akin to crows and jays. Yeah, that surprised me, too. Let's do some comparisons to put the three species into perspective for my readers who are separated from me by sizeable bodies of water.

Facts about Turdus migratorius:
Weight, 2-3 ounces (75-90 gm)
Wingspan, 12-16 inches (30-40 cm)
Length, 9-11 inches (23-28 cm)
Males and females are similar

Facts about Erithacus rubecula:
Weight, 0.7-0.8 ounces (16-22 gm)
Wingspan, 8-9 inches (20-22 cm)
Length, 5-5.5 inches (12-14 cm)
Males and females are similar

Facts about Petroica boodang:
Weight, 0.4-0.5 ounces (12-14 gm)
Wingspan, 8 inches (20.5 cm)
Length, 4.5-5.5 inches (12-13 cm)
Males more brightly coloured than females

So y'see, when we're talking about robins, we could be talking about apples and tomatoes, or even apples, tomatoes and blueberries here. This is why I use Latin names whenever possible.