Wild Bird Wednesday 608 - European Robin

The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) has never been known to me as anything other than just a Robin.

As long term readers will know, I do like a story about the names of birds - and this species has a number of stories attached to it.  One of the traditional names for this species is Robin Redbreast.  Even a casual glance at the pictures below will reveal that it is in fact an 'orange-breast'.  This inconsistency has come about (apparently) because the name Redbreast was given to the bird before the colour orange had been given a name!  Orange seems to have only appeared as the name of a colour in English when the fruit arrived in the country.

Equally interesting is the idea that this is the 'original' robin in terms of its name - but not taxonomy - and in regions that were settled / colonised by the British any bird with a red (or orange!) breast was called a Robin.  Hence North American Robins, and the Robins of Australia.  None of these birds are particularly closely related despite the similar common names.

I found this Robin at Ham Wall RSPB reserve in Somerset. It's a common bird in the UK, but it is demonstrating its calm demeanour around people which is only found in the species in Ireland and the UK. This is different to the behaviour of the species in Continental Europe, where the bird is shy and timid of people.   In the UK Robins will often forage in freshly turned garden soil, often as the gardener is still digging close by.  In the rest of Europe the bird heads for cover at the sign of people.

One explanation for this its that Robin have never been much of a target for hunters in the UK.  The same cannot be said for the rest of Europe.  I have to say, I hope this explanation is true!

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  SM

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter