Today is Mother’s Day, a time to honor and express gratitude to our mothers for all they do. Personally, I’m skeptical about these holidays; they seem like another way for businesses to profit by making people feel obligated to buy gifts and dine out. I believe we should cherish our mothers daily, not just annually.
A robin has made a nest in the tree beside our home. From my office window, I watch her, a devoted mother, steadfastly incubating her eggs through the chill, rain, wind, and storms. Once the eggs hatch, I’m confident she’ll be a good mother to her chicks until they’re ready to venture out independently. She does this instinctively, not with any expectation of gratitude or return visits from her grown offspring. I wonder if birds do recognize their mothers?
I did some research and most birds do not recognize their family members after their first year. However, there are exceptions among social birds. For instance, Canada Geese remember their parents and may even rejoin them during winter and migration. Blue Jays and American Crows also recognize their parents, siblings, and offspring throughout their lives, forming close-knit family flocks. Is your family a family of Robins or a family of Crows?