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NATURE
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Nature offers a window on global natural history, providing a unique insight into the natural world, the environment, and the magnificent creatures that inhabit it.
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The RobinÌý
With the festive season still lingering in the air, there's a celebration of one of our best loved, Christmas characters -Ìýthe Robin.
In the first of a new series of Nature, Lionel Kelleway visits Dartington Hall in Devon,Ìýthe site of some of the earliest and most detailed studies of robins by David Lack.
Joining Lionel is David Harper, from Sussex University, who has spent some 25 years studying the antics and behaviour of robins. Together the two men explore the gardens, woods and parkland of Dartington Hall in search of robins whilst discussing the facts and folklore surrounding this little red-breasted bird.
Robins can be heard singing all year round, but at this time of year, their song is a thinner, bluesy tune; a descending scale of notes, quite unlike the spring song which they use to attract a mate. In winter, the males use their song to announce their presence and defend their territory.
Of course, it's not difficult for Lionel and David to find the local robins - their red breast making then unmistakable. It's this feature which gave rise to their early name Robin Redbreast.
There are tales of how these birds carried fire from heaven to earth for humans to use, and scorched their breasts in the process. The redbreast also gave rise to the link with the postman and Christmas cards.
Postmen wore red jackets, and so Christmas cards often carried a picture of a robin wearing a red jacket and carrying a letter in his beak.
The relationship between robins and humans dates back many centuries. Traditionally, robins would follow wild boar around the oak woods, feeding on the insects turned up by rooting pigs. Today robins follow gardeners around for similar reasons.
But as Lionel discovers there is a darker side to the sweet-natured songster; if necessary a robin will fight to the death to defend its territory. But who amongst us does not feel a sense of joy at the sight of a robin in our garden either hopping around our spade or feeding from scraps of cheese on the bird table.
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RELATED LINKS
More information about Robins is available from the following...
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ()
British Trust for Ornithology ()
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Wildfacts: Robin
The Â鶹ԼÅÄ is not responsible for the content of external websites
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