January 29, 2021

European robin during a winter snowstorm, Peak District National Park, England

So, how long 'til springtime?

Winter often brings cold and snow to the uplands of England's Peak District National Park, as this wee European robin surely knows. Here we see it puffing up its plumage to insulate its body against the wintry weather. The European robin is commonly known in the British Isles as the robin redbreast. But it's more orange than red, you say? That's because when British people first named it the redbreast, probably in the 1400s, the word 'orange' had not yet been introduced as a colour name in the English language. Animals and other things were often named 'red' even when orange or tawny: the red deer, Red Planet, and robin redbreast are all examples. Whatever you decide to call our diminutive friend, we appreciate its bright splash of colour on an otherwise bleak wintry day.