Simon's Blog - The Votes Are In...

Credit: Howard white in St Leonards-on-Sea

....they've been counted and verified and we now know that our choice for the UK's National Bird is the star of many a Christmas card!

More than 224,000 people voted online, in schools and by post and it was the Robin that came out on top with a huge 34% of the votes.

Number 2, with 12% of the votes, was the Barn Owl.

Credit: Ian Clark in Sholing

And number 3 on the list was the Blackbird which polled 11%.

Credit: Dee Finch in East Farleigh

Number 4 was the Wren.

Credit: Helen Walker in Gosport

The Red Kite came in at number 5.

Credit: Steven Cottrell in Thatcham

The rest of the top ten was made up of the Mute Swan, the Kingfisher, the Blue Tit, the Hen Harrier and the Puffin.

It was the ornithologist David Lindo who launched the campaign last year, saying Britain should have a national bird like many other countries do. He now plans to ask the government to give the robin the official recognition the voting public thinks it deserves.