How The American Robin Got Its Name (And Why I Chose Hermit Thrush For My Blog Name)

Robins got their name because they reminded English settlers of the robins back home, which have a bright red breast. However, American robins are only distantly related to English robins. They are actually members of the thrush family, which contains the bluebirds and thrushes.

I picked my blog name, Hermit Thrush, because it seemed the most apt for me in the thrush family. Actually, most of the thrushes tend to be pretty solitary, although American robins do form large flocks, especially in the winter. And, as it turns out, I'd prefer to be more social so perhaps it wasn't the best name to pick. I debated giving everyone else that I interact with (my advisor, roommates, relatives) thrush names such as Wood Thrush, Varied Thrush etc but decided it would be too complicated to keep track of.

I also picked the name Hermit Thrush because they have an achingly beautiful song (if you've never heard one, look it up on the internet), and one of the translations of my name in real life is song. The other thrushes, including the American robin, also have beautiful songs, but the Hermit thrush is particularly pleasing.