Britain’s favourite bird: a chancer with a red breast and good PR!

NATURE COLUMN: Bill Cawley

IT’S official. It is top of the pops.

The robin that is and has held the position since 1960 when it was voted Britain’s favourite bird.

Its status has been unassailable since, an eminence bolstered by its appearance of hundreds of

Christmas cards each year.

One theory why the robin has such a strong association with the festive season is that in Victorian times postmen – bringing the cards

– wore red uniforms and were known by the nickname “robins”.

The red breast of the bird has also given it an association with Christ with the legend that its colouring was due to the spilt blood of Christ.

The robin is also said to have sung in Jesus ear at the time of the boars around as they root around rat ran back to its hiding place and crucifixion to comfort him. in the earth for grubs. seemed to be glad to get to safety.

Our association with the bird goes The robin is essentially a chancer After a while the rat came out back a long way. An early British with a red breast and good PR. again from its shelter and advanced saint St Serf had a pet robin which It is also a fearless bird. I have again on the crumbs. It was seen by was killed by pupils at the monastic seen the small brown bird chase the bird which continued to chase settlement in 530AD, thus making off bigger birds, but the prize the rat although this time it settled it one of the earliest references to a for boldness must go to a robin on the rear of the rat, his wings native British bird. observed in the grounds of a large spread out, quivering with rage and

We like the bird because it house in Ulster. pecking it unmercifully for some appears to like us – perching on Breadcrumbs were thrown for distance until the rival had fled. the gardener’s spade at the end of the bird on a terrace. The robin The robin is a loud singer in a garden. descended and began to eat the defence of its territory and can

However it is a bird with an eye for crumbs. be heard full throated at the end the main chance and it is looking It was observed by a rat that of a winter’s day “Lulling the for earth worms unearthed by the decided also to take up the offer year, with all its cares, to rest “as digging, which it can eat. of the free lunch. The robin saw the poet Wordsworth wrote. We

In Italy where there is wild boar, the rodent and began to chase it should salute such a feisty bird on they can be seen following the off, pecking at the rat’s back. The a Christmas morn