Dear Tom, We saw three robins in our yard this...

December 11, 2002|By Tom Skilling, chief meteorologist at WGN-TV.

Dear Tom,

We saw three robins in our yard this weekend, and they were finding worms in our plant bed. Do you suppose the robins know something we don't about the effect El Nino will have on our winter?

CFR, Park Ridge

Dear CFR,

There is no documented evidence that robins (or any animals) possess an ability to predict future weather. Experts from a wide range of disciplines agree that animal behavior, even when unusual or uncharacteristic, is a response to past or current weather and not based on predictive ability. Most Midwestern robins winter in Southern states, but many will stay if they are able to find berries, seeds and dormant insects. Robins that have remained this season may be in luck, because we are entering into an "El Ni--o" winter, and (despite the cold autumn that we have had until now), Midwestern winters tend to be mild during El Nino events.


