Robin crowned UK's national bird: What do the nation's favourite birds sound like?
|
Version 0 of 1. The robin has won a poll to choose the United Kingdom's first national bird. The BBC Springwatch presenter and ornithologist David Lindo launched the survey last year, with the red-breasted robin winning 34 per cent of the vote. The barn owl came second (12 per cent) with the blackbird third, (11 per cent). Mr Lindo wants to now lobby the government to officially recognise the robin - an image that often dominates Christmas cards - as the UK's national bird. The wren, red kite and kingfisher came fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. The celebrate the occasion, The Independent has compiled a list of the sounds that each bird in the top ten makes. Can you tell your kingfisher from a red kite? More than 224,000 people voted online in the poll. There are also cultural connections that make the robin popular in folklore. The Victorian postmen used to be known as robins because part of their tunic was red – and when Christmas cards first came into vogue they were brought by robins, i.e. the postman. |