I live in the Northeastern region of the United States, and am an avid bird-lover. I love robins for their looks, and because they're harbingers of spring in my area. I thought robins were the same here and in Europe, but was recently told there are major differences. If the information I was given is correct, they don't even belong to the same family of bird! 

I'm almost certain the majority of our robins are called [American Robin](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/id). 

If I were to go to a European country, would I recognize the physical characteristics of the robin there, or is the bird different enough that it would not look like a "robin" to me? 

In addition to the appearance, are the basic behavioral characteristics, such as diet, preferred habitat, and nesting, similar, or are there significant differences in those also? Do the European robins ever migrate to America?