GETTYThe redbreasted robin is the forerunner on the Vote National Bird campaign
No bird distils the essence of Christmas quite like the cheery Redbreast, be it decorating cards, baubles and wrapping paper or just filling the air with their sweet, nocturnal carols.
Winning their way into the nation's consciousness has made them clear front runners in the vote to find Britain's official bird.
Their jolly persona, friendliness and a cocksure belligerence that defies their stature are the defining traits that helped turn our small island into a global power.
Tens of thousands of people have already suggested their favourite candidates on the Vote National Bird website with the robin, kingfisher, barn owl, blue tit, wren, blackbird, puffin and mute swan emerging as early leaders. Today is the last chance to register your shortlist.
What is becoming obvious to vote organiser David Lindo as he prepares for next April's final ballot is the way birds whose fortunes have suffered in modern times are failing to figure in the nominations.
David, known as the Urban Birder, explained: "I have been overwhelmed by the number of votes that we have received for the campaign. Many of the 70,000 votes have been for the usual well-known suspects such as the front-running robin.
"What has been surprising is the lack of votes for iconic species such as cuckoo, turtle dove and nightingale.
GETTYThere has been a surprising lack of votes for the iconic turtle dove
All three have suffered dramatic falls in population and are in danger of extinction
David Lindo
"I put it down to the fact that many people have grown up without these amazing birds in their daily lives.
"All three have suffered dramatic falls in population over the last 30 years and are in danger of extinction.
"I believe that if the Vote National Bird Campaign had been conducted in the 1940s, when many species were far more common than what they are today, we would have certainly had a slightly different list of birds featuring in the top 10.
"Although I am unbiased, secretly I would love for some of the other species like the hen harrier to get extra votes. I guess that time will tell."
The choice of hen harrier would be popular among campaigners calling for greater controls over the driven grouse shooting industry.
The harrier, written into history through its associations with the jump jet, has suffered illegal persecution to such an extent that there is stark contrast between the number of birds nesting in Britain and the numbers the countryside should support.
Three years ago the Joint Nature Conservation Committee issued a report that highlighted this shocking disparity. The Conservation Framework for Hen Harriers in the United Kingdom suggests there should be as many as 2,600 pairs. In reality there are as few as 600.
The report also warns that hopes for hen harriers to achieve a favourable status in England are unlikely "unless illegal persecution is considerably reduced".
See votenationalbird.com
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