AUDIO | Poll of the Tweets: Britain Votes to Find Its National Bird

Posted by Noma Nazish March 21, 2015

AUDIO | Poll of the Tweets: Britain Votes to Find Its National Bird

A nationwide poll is being run to elect Britain’s national bird.

As Britain gears up for the polls to elect the next government on 7 May, the country is also facing another election, a one of a kind: to elect the ‘Bird of Britain’.

The nationwide poll will be running parallel to this year’s General Election.

People can vote for their favourite bird from a shortlist of 10 feathered candidates.

The avian contenders include the barn owl, blackbird, blue tit, kingfisher, and wren. Unsurprisingly, the country’s hot favourite, red-breasted robin, is also in the running.

Other iconic birds on the list include puffin and the mute swan which is a royal favourite and enjoys statutory protection.

The red kite is one of the unexpected species that has secured its place in the top ten. It has been recently reintroduced into parts of England and Scotland.

One of England’s rarest birds, the hen harrier, seems to be the dark horse in the race. The hen harrier is on the brink of extinction in Britain due to illegal hunting. The majestic bird of prey which feeds on grouse is often shot down by owners of grouse moors and its gamekeepers.

People can cast vote online at www.votenationalbird.com or at selected nature reserves across England. The voting opened on 17 March and will close at midnight on 7 May.

The bird poll is the brainchild of leading ornithologist David Lindo, also known as ‘The Urban Birder.’ He has teamed up with wildlife and nature organisations for the initiative. Lindo is fronting the campaign hoping to raise awareness about wild birds in Britain.

The Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) has welcomed the move.

“The idea originally came to me when I was a kid in primary school. It re-entered my mind two years ago and I decided to run a campaign alongside the General Election,” says Lindo, who has featured on TV shows such as Countryfile.

“We are a poorer nation without a feathered emblem. Birding was born in the UK yet we are one of the last to embrace a National Bird,” he adds.

“Britain does have a national bird,” says British Trust of Ornithology’s Media Manager, Paul Stancliffe.

“In 1960, the British delegates at the International Council for Bird Preservation meeting, in Japan, were asked to consider what their national bird was… The delegates chose the Robin.”

“However, the Robin was chosen by a committee and I like that David Lindo is asking members of the public which bird they think should be our national bird and giving everyone a chance to have their say,” he adds.

After the counting of votes, Lindo will urge the new government to officially crown the winner as the national bird.

The original list included 60 bird species. Last year, over 70,000 people voted in the first round to whittle it down to ten.

According to a news report, not everyone is happy with the short-list. Many want the Indian Parrot as one of the contenders.

Experts are uncertain as to when did the Indian parrots arrive in the UK, but they have thrived here for centuries. They can be easily spotted today, swamping in parks and gardens in the green suburbs of London and elsewhere.

Most countries have a national bird. From bald eagle in the U.S and the common blackbird in Sweden to the Gallic rooster in France and the goldcrest in Luxembourg.

Britain, like Canada, is among the few countries who don’t have a national bird. Similarly, Northern Ireland does not have an official national bird either. In Scotland, the golden eagle and in Wales, the red kite are sometimes regarded as the unofficial epitome of the nation.

“This campaign will get people thinking which bird they would like to see crowned as the national bird and in doing so will raise the profile, maybe for a short while at least, of British birds,” says Stancliffe.

“This can only help in the future when people might be asked to support campaigns to help some of the species that are showing worrying declines. Birds like the Nightingale, for instance” he adds.

For decades, robin has been the uncrowned king of birds in England. As the competition gets fierce, one wonders which feathered friend is going to represent the country.

“I think that a bird like the Robin or House Sparrow would fit the bill,” says Stancliffe.

Alastair Jack from Glasgow says that the barn owl should become the national bird of Britain because of its “stern British look.”

While Chris Jordan from Cockermouth says that the swans deserve the title because “they represent the royal family.”

Could the royal favourite emerge victorious? Or, will the barn owl knock the robin off its perch? Only time will tell!

The shortlist, in pictures:

1. Blue Tit