Ship of Fools: UK National Bird?

Thread: UK National Bird? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

The UK does not have a national bird. In 1966 the favourite bird to be our national bird was the Robin but nothing has been done about it since.

The Vote National Bird lists 10 possible options

barn owl
blackbird
blue tit
hen harrier
kingfisher
mute swan
puffin
red kite
robin
wren

but all you can do on that site is vote. Here on this thread you can give your reason for selecting that bird or even choose one not on the list.

I suspect the robin would still get my vote as they are common and popular birds but I do wonder if for a group of Islands where the sea forms such part of our identity whether the puffin might be better. Especially with the current political climate which rather suggests that spending the winter fishing in the north Atlantic might be better than being this close to Europe.

Jengie

p.s. I do not think that site is limited to UK residents. So if people who are not resident want to join in please do. It may help ups to "see ourselves as others see us"

[ 11. April 2015, 12:26: Message edited by: Jengie jon ]

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

We have several national flowers in the UK (though, no UK national flower). Why have just one bird?

Posted by crunt (# 1321) on :

I'd go with swan, because of the relationship the crown has with swans (don't they all 'belong' to the queen, or something?).

Even though it's not an option; I'd also like to give my second choice to the raven / crow, because of their iconic place in the Tower, as well as their intelligence, and also because of their link with my hometown in south Wales (Valley of the Crow).

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :

The robin: aggressive, bold, and sings beautifully.

Blue tits are more charming but just don't seem to chime with any reasonable construction of the national character.
The birds I see most often in the garden are great tits and woodpigeons.

What really does one want out of a national bird? To reflect the nation's idea of itself? To be most liked? To be the most common? or common indigenous? or endemic?

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

No starlings in the list? A cloud of starlings coming in to roost are a wonderful site (or sight, or both).

And you can teach them tunes. We had one which would roost and sing in a tree near the back garden. So I'd whistle back. The bird would them mimic the whistle.

And it recognised me. It surprised people when I was at the bus stop that a bird would land in the a nearby tree and wolf-whistle. (Yes, that is what I taught it, I really am that shallow.)

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Alan Cresswell:
We have several national flowers in the UK (though, no UK national flower). Why have just one bird?

I have never understood the obsession with having official state flowers, trees, birds, crustaceans and all the rest of it. It's a load of nonsense.

What purpose would a "UK national bird" have? Nothing. The UK has a wide variety of native birds, and there's no reason to prefer one over the other in this way. Similarly, the UK has a wide variety of people.

Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :

I have a soft spot for the red kite

Posted by Oscar the Grouch (# 1916) on :

WHY would the UK need a national bird? OK - it's not that essential, but it is about a visual image that helps sum up what the nation is about. I would quite warm to a national bird.

WHICH BIRD should it be? I don't think it is easy to look beyond the robin. It is a well-known and well-loved garden bird and can sum up some of the best bits about being British: indomitable, willing to take on anything larger than itself in defence of its territory; colourful and musical.

If you're looking for a bird which somehow represents "Britishness", I don't think that there is a better contender.

Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :

I think it should be the ptarmigan, because that is the Best Word Ever. But I take the point made on the radio, that the robin is a design classic.

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jengie jon:

I suspect the robin would still get my vote as they are common and popular birds but I do wonder if for a group of Islands where the sea forms such part of our identity whether the puffin might be better.

Having just come back from Iceland I think they have already laid claim to the puffin. Although they do eat them!

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

I'm amazed you didn't put a good word in for the sparrow, Sparrow!

I think they are smashing little birds. Sadly 'my' flock has left us since we cut the bushes down at the side of the fence [Frown]

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I'm amazed you didn't put a good word in for the sparrow, Sparrow!

I think they are smashing little birds. Sadly 'my' flock has left us since we cut the bushes down at the side of the fence

I didn't think of it! I haven't seen one for years.

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :

I thoughjt that the red kite was the national bird of Wales. We saw two on the way from Abergavenny to Hereford today. [Smile]

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I'm amazed you didn't put a good word in for the sparrow, Sparrow!

I think they are smashing little birds. Sadly 'my' flock has left us since we cut the bushes down at the side of the fence

Sparrows cannot be the UK national bird! Sparrows don't queue.

ETA:Sparrows mob and fight, so they could be the representative bird of football fans...

[ 11. April 2015, 19:29: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

We are blessed in this neck of East Anglia with a colony of Tree Sparrows, which I understand are quite rare. They ain't half noisy as they flutter around!

Of course the national bird of West London (where we used to live) is the green parrakeet.

[ 11. April 2015, 19:37: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

I'm voting for sparrows. Iconic London bird.

Otherwise the mallard would do - they're ubiquitous, most people like them, and "feeding the ducks" is a pleasure that lasts beyond childhood.

quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
I thought that the red kite was the national bird of Wales. We saw two on the way from Abergavenny to Hereford today.

Wait till you get to Oxfordshire. In some parts of the county they seem to outnumber any other kind of bird. (Possibly they intimidated them into moving elsewhere, or ate them, or something.)

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

The reason why the Red Kite is associated with Wales is because they were common everywhere until about the time of Jane Austin. They then got wiped out by gamekeepers and others except for a very small number that hung on around Tregaron. For about 70 years they were down to about 6.

The ones in Oxfordshire descend from a very successful reintroduction near High Wycombe. There have been other reintroductions elsewhere - just north of Leeds for example. The ones in Wales began to spread outwards about 30 years ago, and have now reached Shropshire. So they are a natural comeback, not an assisted one.

Posted by Oscar the Grouch (# 1916) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I'm amazed you didn't put a good word in for the sparrow, Sparrow!

I think they are smashing little birds. Sadly 'my' flock has left us since we cut the bushes down at the side of the fence

I did consider the sparrow, on the grounds that it's been taken across the world and where ever it has gone it has taken over, squeezed out the resident population, and makes a loud racket in doing so.

We had a pair of sparrows nesting in a box in the garden next door, last year. They were hugely successful and had at least two broods. By the end of the summer there was a little flock of the noisy blighters. Sadly, the new neighbours have removed the nesting box and cut back the shrubs and the sparrows have moved on.
[Frown]

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :

The red kites are fed daily in a number of places in Ceredigion, so there is a degree of assistance.

The numbers in Ceredigion are very high - we would expect to see between 5 and a dozen on any 10 mile journey, and we have seen more than 20 at one time on several occasions.

[ 11. April 2015, 21:04: Message edited by: Drifting Star ]

Posted by IngoB (# 8700) on :

Emma Watson?

Posted by Teufelchen (# 10158) on :

quote:
Originally posted by IngoB:
Emma Watson?

Or, you could try not being gratuitously sexist.

t

Posted by Chocoholic (# 4655) on :

A recent question on family fortunes was to name small birds. Genuinely one of the answers on the board (so more than 1 person said it) was Kylie Minogue.

Posted by Athrawes (# 9594) on :

Puffins! Puffins are wonderful. Why not go with something so beautiful, hardy, intelligent and fun?

Boogie, I know where your sparrows went. They hitched a ride to Australia and live in my back yard, where they come into the house and eat the dog biscuits. Do you want them back?

Posted by Macrina (# 8807) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Teufelchen:

quote:
Originally posted by IngoB:
Emma Watson?
Or, you could try not being gratuitously sexist.

t

I actually chuckled at that *shame faced*

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

I think I'd go for the humble starling, most amazing and beautiful birds - and seen up close their colouring is stunning!

Posted by Oscar the Grouch (# 1916) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I think I'd go for the humble starling, most amazing and beautiful birds - and seen up close their colouring is stunning!

And one of the funniest, as well. They're great to watch in flocks as they feed. And watching them coming together at dusk to roost is awesome.

But I'm not sure they represent "Britishness" as such to be the National Bird.

Posted by bib (# 13074) on :

When I receive Christmas cards from the UK they always seem to have robins on them and so I tend to see robins as particularly British. (Mind you, we also have robins in Australia.)

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

Starlings? Starlings! You know they come here from Northern Europe? Perch on our pylons, take our plumbing jobs, open delicatessens selling weird starling foods...

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Presented for your consideration:

Ben Franklin wrote to his daughter about which should be the US bird--the eagle or the turkey. The top of the article has a great mock-up of what our national seal would be with Franklin's preferred bird.
[Smile]

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Athrawes:

Boogie, I know where your sparrows went. They hitched a ride to Australia and live in my back yard, where they come into the house and eat the dog biscuits. Do you want them back?

Yes - please - I will provide the air fare. I miss them! We put decking in the garden as it was becoming a swamp due to such high rainfall - but the sparrows went away.

Here is the new decking where the sparrows' bushes used to be. I enjoy the decking, but miss 'my' birds! They are fine, there's a huge park nearby. But I used to love to watch them eating, bathing and generally sparrowing [Smile]

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
Otherwise the mallard would do - they're ubiquitous, most people like them, and "feeding the ducks" is a pleasure that lasts beyond childhood.

And, they come in sets of three on the walls of living rooms across the country.

Posted by Athrawes (# 9594) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:
Originally posted by Athrawes:

Boogie, I know where your sparrows went. They hitched a ride to Australia and live in my back yard, where they come into the house and eat the dog biscuits. Do you want them back?
Yes - please - I will provide the air fare. I miss them! We put decking in the garden as it was becoming a swamp due to such high rainfall - but the sparrows went away.

Here is the new decking where the sparrows' bushes used to be. I enjoy the decking, but miss 'my' birds! They are fine, there's a huge park nearby. But I used to love to watch them eating, bathing and generally sparrowing

The decking is very impressive ( as are the occupants [Big Grin]

)

as to the sparrows, it might be a bit hard to shift them. They are very happy (except when I have to help them find their way out of the house again) and in addition to the (very expensive) dog biscuits, I have several parrots who throw their seed all over the ground. The place must resemble an All you can eat buffet for them.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Of course the national bird of West London (where we used to live) is the green parrakeet.

- they are right across London now and out the other side into East Anglia. I had one on my bird feeders a couple of months ago. You too will be enjoying green parakeets soon!

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Alan Cresswell:
And, they come in sets of three on the walls of living rooms across the country.

I haven't seen the flying duck wall ornaments in England since the late 1970s. I think they would be quite rare now.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
Starlings? Starlings! You know they come here from Northern Europe? Perch on our pylons, take our plumbing jobs, open delicatessens selling weird starling foods...

Starlings are underrated. Yeah, I know they are an invasive species. Yeah, I know they kick little mourning doves out of their nests and make a lot of racket on the roof. But they have lots of personality, and like Wod said, they have lovely feathers.

Around here, they flock with the blackbirds. Do they cross- breed?

Posted by system1 (# 18389) on :

The answer is eagle and swan - but not together.

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
Around here, they flock with the blackbirds. Do they cross- breed?

Unlikely - they're not closely related. (They're closer to European blackbirds than they are to American blackbirds, but starlings of all kinds form a distinct family of their own regardless.)

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Macrina:

quote:
Originally posted by Teufelchen:

quote:
Originally posted by IngoB:
Emma Watson?
Or, you could try not being gratuitously sexist.

t
I actually chuckled at that *shame faced*

And me. Mind you, given the datedness of the term, I'd thought it might be Barbara Windsor.

Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :

What no pidgeon (rock dove for pr) ?

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

quote:
Originally posted by system1:
The answer is eagle and swan - but not together.

A sweagle would be an interesting hybrid. You are wrong on both counts though, the Golden eagle works for the Scots, but is not the UK bird. Swans stole my daughter's sandwich on Windermere, so that won't do. It has to be the starling. But welcome to the ship anyway.

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:
Originally posted by Alan Cresswell:
And, they come in sets of three on the walls of living rooms across the country.
I haven't seen the flying duck wall ornaments in England since the late 1970s. I think they would be quite rare now.

Ah, but you see then you also bring in the British sense of nostalgia. By the time someone actually adopts a national bird the 1970s will be the setting for period dramas. The equivalent of Downtown Abbey seen by billions around the world will have sets of three mallards on every wall, and that will be our national bird. Perfect marketting.

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

With one taking a nosedive per Hilda Ogden?

Posted by Eirenist (# 13343) on :

Our national bird should be the wren. It may be small (it was on the reverse of our smallest coin, the farthing, until they were abolished), it is indigenous, and according to legend became the king of all birds by perching on the head of the eagle ('the special relationship'?). So it punches above its weight.

Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :

Wasn't it tortured for wassailiing as well, sounds like the kind of history you need to be a national icon.

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :

I was a bit annoyed that the pigeon wasn't on there. It's ubiquitous, rather annoying and shits all over the place - a perfect metaphor for the British.

I am rather fond of barn owls, kingfishers and puffins for being beautiful birds, but can't see how they embody much national identity, particularly given how rare they are.

Rarity also probably rules out the hen harrier.

The red kite is a great success story. I recall, as a child, having to travel to a remote part of Wales in order to see them; now you can see them from the M40!

The wren has nothing on either the robin or the blue tit.

I would probably go with the mute swan. It's not so rare you have to go hundreds of miles to see one, majestic at times and a bit vicious at others.

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :

I’m another one kind of disappointed not to see the humble sparrow on the list. I know they’re kind of ubiquitous and unexceptional, but that’s why I like them.

(My Dad puts out food for the birds and gets a lots of sparrows in his garden. Every now and again a sparrow hawk swoops down and flies off with one. Rather than being filled with ornithological wonder at the sight of this magnificent bird of prey, my Dad gets mightily pissed off that one of “his” sparrows got eaten.

Mum en rouge: That’s how nature works. The sparrow hawk’s a carnivore, he has to eat.
Dad en rouge: (grumpy) I don’t care. Let him go and eat someone else’s sparrows and leave mine alone.

[Big Grin]

)

When I was a student in Surrey I used to see robins quite often, but since they are not common in the Midlands where I grew up, they always felt quite exotic to me.

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

Billions of sparrows over here - just go to any market area anywhere in India and you will see your fill of them but our National Bird is the Keacock - a bird that qualifies as stupid even by bird standards!

And we have many varieties of Kingfisher, most days I see several.

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

[Hot and Hormonal]

I meant, of course, Peacock!

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
the Peacock - a bird that qualifies as stupid even by bird standards!

I'll second that. They roam free around Whipsnade zoo, where I used to work. They just amble along in the middle of the road, oblivious to any cars or pick up trucks that might run them over.

Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :

quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I’m another one kind of disappointed not to see the humble sparrow on the list. I know they’re kind of ubiquitous and unexceptional, but that’s why I like them.

They're not as ubiquitous now as they were twenty five years ago, although they're beginning to reappear. We didn't use to realise just how pretty the cock sparrows are.
They are nevertheless highly sociable and extravert birds, and I think not really how the UK sees its dominant culture.

[ 13. April 2015, 12:21: Message edited by: Dafyd ]

Posted by Pomona (# 17175) on :

Tree sparrows are even prettier (and rarer and shyer) than house sparrows.

Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :

We have loads of house sparrows but even more of the similar but plain Dunnocks which live in our box hedge and scuttle on the ground. But I've rarely seen a tree sparrow.
We do well for birds as we have a large garden with open fields behind (new build coming behind our house though). Robins are regular features all year round, we see blue tits (we have a nest box and camera), great tits and long tailed tits, greenfinches, gold finches, chaffinches and even the occasional bullfinch. Starlings, thrushes, magpies and jays all pass through, with collared doves and wood pigeons. A green woodpecker lives in the school grounds, I saw red wings in the parks a few weeks ago, pied wagtails are always there and I saw a little egret by the brook recently. We have a local visiting heron. I can't believe all the birds we see and are less than 3 miles from Cambridge.
I wouldn't choose a starling as a national bird, they always seem too aggressive and noisy to me. Sparrows might portray a poor image, a bit unimaginative. I would go for something more colourful like a blue tit or robin. A robin is a good all rounder, common but pretty, a cheerful song and very friendly.
I think puffins would be too regional, as would be my preferred choice and favourite local, the heron.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

Dunnocks, which used to be called Hedge Sparrows, wouldn't be suitable as a national bird. Research has discovered that they have a lurid private life.

I agree that Tree Sparrows are attractive. When I was a boy, we had some nesting in a nest box in the garden. But they aren't doing very well at the moment, and aren't found throughout the country.

Little Egrets are a very picturesque bird. They weren't here at all until quite recently. They've spread north from France, and are still largely restricted to the southern half of England. Down in Somerset, they have a bigger version as well, which is all white but the size of an ordinary Heron.

Redwings ares strictly winters only. Just as swallows come here in summer, so they go to Scandinavia to breed.

Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :

Enoch:

quote:
Dunnocks, which used to be called Hedge Sparrows, wouldn't be suitable as a national bird. Research has discovered that they have a lurid private life.

And this disqualifies them from being the national bird because...?

Oh, it's a PR exercise. Right. Not an attempt to define essential characteristics of the national culture (in which case the dunnock would qualify, given the media's fascination with sex scandals...)

In that case I nominate the peregrine falcon. World's fastest bird. Entirely appropriate symbol for the nation that produced Frank Whittle, inventor of the turbojet engine.

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

I'm tempted to vote for the elegant swan, but I really think the prize should go to something commonly found in the iconic English Country Garden. So sparrow, robin or wren.

Then again, the blue tit would give a welcome giggle to school children everywhere. Is it a garden or water bird?

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

It's a very common garden bird. Here are some photographs of it. I think what you call a chickadee is related to it.

There are several other sorts of tit. And yes, nine year old boys make jokes about their name.

[ 14. April 2015, 19:15: Message edited by: Enoch ]

Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :

Garden birds. No live cam this year (a rat chewed through our cable!) but here is our website with the previous videos of our blue tit nest box.
(I've given this web site address out to teachers before with reassuring words that it is a bird cam site lest the name causes doubt [Big Grin]

)

Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :

Usually the jokes are about great tits...

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :

...which would be the ideal choice as they are colourful and charming (albeit with a song that sounds like someone hacksawing a bolt), but also generate much sniggering behind the hand, that most British of habits.

AG

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

Great videos, Heavenly Anarchist. I loved her first look at the bird house. You could almost hear her thinking, "Oh yes! This will do quite nicely!"

So sad about the ninth chick. I'm guessing that happens with the littlest one fairly often.

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

Surprised there are no pigeons or pheasants on the list. Iconic British images marketed overseas are the Red Robin - particularly in the snow on Christmas cards, the pigeons of Trafalgar Square, and of course the whole thing of the landed gentry going pheasant or grouse shooting a la Downton Abbey etc.

Australia also lays claim to swans and kingfishers as well as the emu on many national & state emblems. The kookaburra is a kingfisher, and we have both black and white swans. The puffin and the penguin I associate with places further north than the UK notwithstanding their use in the British book industry.

A rook on a tower, or a jackdaw in a chimney is a very British kind of image but possibly only says 'London'. So from an o'seas point of view, the red breasted robin holds the most ground re being a nationally recognisable bird.

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
The puffin and the penguin I associate with places further north than the UK notwithstanding their use in the British book industry.

There are large nesting colonies of puffins on islands off the Northumberland and Scottish coasts, so very much UK birds (although, once they've finished raising their chicks they're off to the open sea until it's time to nest again).

Penguins, on the other hand, are associated with places a considerable way further south than the UK.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

I saw puffins in Poole harbour, which is southern UK, long before I went to see the nesting colonies on the Farne Islands and Lunga. They chat to you when you're sailing.

Jackdaws are widespread throughout the UK barring the north west of Scotland.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Alan Cresswell:

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
The puffin and the penguin I associate with places further north than the UK notwithstanding their use in the British book industry.
There are large nesting colonies of puffins on islands off the Northumberland and Scottish coasts, so very much UK birds (although, once they've finished raising their chicks they're off to the open sea until it's time to nest again).

Penguins, on the other hand, are associated with places a considerable way further south than the UK.

Just wait until the pole invert, then who will look silly?

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

[Killing me]

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

An inversion of the magnetic poles will simply shift the magnetic north pole from a few degrees away from the geographical north pole to a few degree away from the geographic south pole, and similarly shift the magnetic south pole to the geographic north. It will not change the geographic poles. And, penguins won't suddenly all migrate across the equator (for a start the Arctic is not a suitable environment for them to live - connections to the European, Asian and North American continents result in land preditors which would have a feast of large numbers of flightless birds.

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

Doh. Unless of course Antarctica is at the top of the world. We have quite cute penguins in Oz. They live along the southern coastline and are tiny - though we apparently are no longer allowed to call them Fairy Penguins - its not PC any more. Sigh.

But my point is puffins & penguins are not seen as primarily British - they are associated with icier climes. I will never think of the puffin as being an emblematic British creature. Funny really, as I think of the British lion easily. [Confused]

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

Penguins are associated with colder climes.

But Puffins prefer their swimming waters to be free of ice. They're found, as CK said, throughout Britain and along the northern coast of France, the Atlantic coasts for Scandanavia, Iceland, and the Atlantic coasts of Canada and the US as far south as Maine. You don't find them in Greenland or the Arctic coasts of Canada and Scandanavia. In winter, you can find puffins as far south as Morocco. Of course, that's the Atlantic Puffin, other species live in the Pacific, but have no greater love of the cold.

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Alan Cresswell:
...Penguins, on the other hand, are associated with places a considerable way further south than the UK.

I thought there was an established Ship tradition of at least one free and wild[!?!] penguin living in South London.

As for the starling being an invader from Northern Europe, well so were the Angles and Saxons and Vikings and look what happened to them! Even the Normans started up there!

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

We have starlings and sparrows in abundance here - they are not regarded fondly at all, but as pesty interlopers. I could not imagine anyone wanting them as a symbol of national pride.

But then if a thistle can be a symbol of national pride, I guess a starling should not be discounted as a possibility.

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :

The thistle is a national symbol because viking invaders attempting to ambush the Scottish army stepped on thistles, cried out in pain and alerted the army, which then defeated them.

Has the starling ever saved the country?

There was a Shipmeet to Inchcolm Island a few years ago; there were puffins bobbing around in the sea at it.

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:

Iconic British images marketed overseas are ... the pigeons of Trafalgar Square.

Not since Mayor Ken Livingstone got rid of them - unless Boris has brought them back.

I didn't notice any when I passed through the Square last month, but I was on a bus so may not have seen them.

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

I was rather surprised to discover that Ireland has no national bird; I thought it would have been the raven.

Posted by Pomona (# 17175) on :

I'm in the Thames Valley (near Aldermaston/Newbury) and see tree sparrows more than house sparrows in our garden! We're semi-rural with farmland and heathland locally, and lots of Scots pine in the place we live. Loads of coal tits this year for some reason too.

I love dunnocks! I see them in the garden all the time - we have some hedging in our garden separating the majority of the garden from a kind of patio area, and they're always scuttling around the hedge.

Wrens or blackbirds for me - lovely songs and such pretty birds in 'ordinary' ways. I love seeing the pair of blackbirds in our garden with their fledglings hopping around.

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :

At a previous house we had a blackbird who would sit on top of the hedge whenever it rained, singing his heart out. That would be a nice way to be represented.

Of course we do have a unicorn on our royal coat of arms, so why not a phoenix as our national bird?

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

The phoenix is said to be the national bird of Lebanon (inhabited by people who used to be known as the Phoenicians). It fits with somewhere that has seen a lot of conflict but rises again from the ashes.

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Drifting Star:
Of course we do have a unicorn on our royal coat of arms, so why not a phoenix as our national bird?

The Oozlum bird would be more appropriate.

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
...which would be the ideal choice as they are colourful and charming (albeit with a song that sounds like someone hacksawing a bolt), but also generate much sniggering behind the hand, that most British of habits.

AG

So we are back to Barbara Windsor, then? [Smile]

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
The thistle is a national symbol because viking invaders attempting to ambush the Scottish army stepped on thistles, cried out in pain and alerted the army, which then defeated them.

Has the starling ever saved the country?

I was unaware of the thistle's contribution to national safety. So what did the leek do? [Eek!]

Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:

quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
The thistle is a national symbol because viking invaders attempting to ambush the Scottish army stepped on thistles, cried out in pain and alerted the army, which then defeated them.

Has the starling ever saved the country?

I was unaware of the thistle's contribution to national safety. So what did the leek do?

According to legend, leeks were worn by Welsh soldiers in a battle against the saxons so that they would be able to recognise those fighting on the same side.
They are also very nice in a mild cheese sauce

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