Talk:European Robin

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Does the last sentence mean that the Robin is a member of Erithacus rubecula, or not? -- Zoe


Hi Zoe, do you mean the binomial classification? If so, that's just the scientific name of the bird, and in this case that's the genus (Erithacus) and species (rubecula). Take a look at the entry for WikiProject Tree of Life. -- Ramin

What I'm saying is the last sentence seems a non-sequitur. You never said until then that a Robin IS a member of Erithacus rubecula. I GUESS it means that it IS one, but I'm not sure. Please be more specific. -- Zoe

Does anyone know if the robin is well known to gardeners continental Europe?

Is that a commemorative stamp or a Christmas stamp?

Should there be seperate pages on wikipedia for thematics (themes on stamps) and a link from this site to the robin thematics page?

Postage stamp image has been moved off this page for months now. Snowman 14:23, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Robin in culture

I have added the word 'unofficial' before 'national bird of Britain'. This is supported by the following information from the proceedings of the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee, 31 October 2006[1]:

"Despite some assertions to the contrary, it seems that the United Kingdom does not have an official national bird. The European Robin (erithacus rubecula) is frequently listed as Britain’s most popular bird, and is a favourite for use on items such as postage stamps, however it has never been submitted to an official process of recognition and has at no point received UK parliamentary support.

"Having said this, the European Robin has previously been promoted as the “national bird” by the British branch of the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP). In October 1960, responding to a resolution from the ICBP, its chairman wrote a letter to The Times asking for the views of readers on the subject of choosing of a bird for Britain. After reviewing readership response, the Robin was deemed to be overwhelmingly the most popular UK bird with all sections of the community. In accordance with the perceived public will, the British branch of the ICBP sought for the Robin to be adopted as the “Bird for Britain”, and the organisation itself began to use the Robin as its official logo. Despite initial public interest, the European Robin was never submitted for recognition as the UK’s official national bird, and no branches of government became involved in its promotion as a national symbol. After continuing to represent the British branch of the ICBP for some years, it seems that the Robin was ultimately dropped from use." Russ London 10:40, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

  • Since a 'citation needed' was subsequently added to the line in question on the main page, I have added the link to the PDF file from which I have quoted above. Russ London 16:08, 10 December 2006 (UTC)