Robin perched on a rose hip branch in Norfolk
© Ernie Janes/Minden Pictures
Robin perched on a rose hip branch in Norfolk
This robin looks cosy on its perch here amid the falling snow in Norfolk. The charming bird has been associated with Christmas in Britain since Victorian times when postmen in red uniforms – called ‘robins’ – would deliver Christmas cards. These days the robin is regularly featured on festive decorations and the songster remains a year-round favourite. In 2015, Britons affirmed their affection when they voted for the species to become their national bird.
Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
Magellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands
Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
North American beaver, Moran, Wyoming, United States
Female black-naped monarch nesting
Black heron canopy hunting, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Southern yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
A kingfisher perched on a branch
