A robin is a robin is a robin

Speranza

Putnam would speak of division of labour.

J. Friedman notes that there is one use of "robin" for the American bird from 1792. This is in /The American Geography/, by Jedidiah Morse.

http://books.google.com/books?id=PUcMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA59

Friedman comments:

"Morse is not what you'd call reliable on natural history."

---- And one wonders if he was quoting Sewall. He couldn't. Because Sewall's Diary only got published in the 1800s.

So, there are two paths to consider here. Or not. Or more.