UK 'needs a national bird'
By Tony Grew - 1st June 2011
Tory MP Patrick Mercer has tabled an EDM calling for the Red Grouse to be named as the UK's national bird.
Representative birds or flowers are popular with US states, but have not formed a big part of the British national psyche - Mercer wants to change that.
The Newark MP points out that India and New Zealand - both Commonwealth nations - have a national bird.
His EDM reads:
"A national bird provides a unique focal point through which a nation can express its pride of and concern for its natural heritage; acknowledges that the native Red Grouse is the only bird on this planet which exclusively inhabits the heather moors of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; believes that a national bird will generate a wide range of self-sustaining benefits in the environmental, civic, commerical and tourist sectors; affirms that for the Red Grouse to be credibly, authoritatively and permanently appointed as the UK's national bird the Government needs officially to recognise it as such; and duly calls on the Government to endorse the UK National Bird Campaign."
His EDM has been signed, so far, by the DUP's Jim Shannon and Labour's Alan Meale.
Article Comments
A Fartridge?
Boyd
6th Jun 2011 at 1:58 pm
The red grouse is absent from most of the UK. The national bird should be the robin, which is all but ubiquitous and whose "tameness" is unique to the UK.
Stephen
3rd Jun 2011 at 1:09 am
Y, man I`m for the `Spoogy`, a real working class bird.
carl
2nd Jun 2011 at 3:10 pm
I thought we already had one - Cheryl Cole?
Simon
2nd Jun 2011 at 11:06 am
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