• The Robin's Namesake

  • Jan 12 2025
  • Length: 2 mins
  • Podcast

The Robin's Namesake

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  • Summary

  • Like the American Robin, the European Robin is a bird of yards and gardens. But it’s not much bigger than a chickadee. The robin’s likeness turns up everywhere from Mother Goose rhymes, Peter Rabbit stories, and whiskey labels to postage stamps and Christmas cards. On at least two occasions, the “Robin Red-Breast” has won the popular vote to become the UK’s unofficial national bird. And as for its breast color — one account has it that when the robin visited souls in Purgatory to refresh them with water, its breast was scorched to its current shade.

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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