Tweet of the Day

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Factual: Science & Nature

Discover birds through their songs and calls. 265 programmes of 90 seconds, over a year

Discover birds through their songs and calls. Each Tweet of the Day begins with a call or song, followed by a story of fascinating ornithology inspired by the sound.

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Tweet of the Day: New Zealand Robin

New Zealand Robin

BBC Radio 4 - Tweet of the Day, New Zealand Robin

Sir David Attenborough presents the New Zealand robin.

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
 
Sir David Attenborough presents the New Zealand robin.  The toutouwai or New Zealand robin may share a name with the more familiar European robin, but it is a very different bird to the robin redbreast we know so well.  Although about the same size with the same perky upright stance, the New Zealand robin, is appropriately enough nearly all-black, with a pale belly and a white splash just above the bill, but no trace of red. Three subspecies exist; one in north Island, one in South Island, and another in Stewart Island.  And like their British counterparts, who they are not closely related to at all, can become quite tame and friendly to humans.  The song is very varied and each male has a repertoire of around two dozen different notes.

Producer : Andrew Dawes

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