Robin or wren? Vote for Britain's national bird.

ó??ú?????ú?ń ′??ń?????-????

Robin or wren? Vote for our national bird

America has the bald eagle, France the Gallic rooster and India the peacock. That Britain, a nation of animal lovers, does not have a bird to call its own, has spurned ornithologist David Lindo to action with a campaign to find our national bird.

???úó?í?ó?,ˇ¨?úó?????????,ó???ó??×??.??ó??ú,×÷???????ú??????°????????ú??,?′??ó?×??????ú?ń,?ň′??ń???§??′ó???¤á???ˇ???á??ú?ń?"?????.

He said: "I want to encourage the great British public to vote for the bird that best represents all that is great about this nation."

???í????"????????ó??ú?ń?úí???????×??ü????ó??ú?°′ó??′????ń??."

More than 70,000 people voted in the first round to whittle it down to a shortlist of 10 and members of the public now have six weeks to choose which British bird they would like to see represent the country, he said.

????,???y7íň?ń?ú??ó?á??ú????í???,?????y?ó????????×????ň???ń,?ú?ó???′??á??ü??,?ń?ú?í???????????ń×??ü′ú?íó??ú.

The 10 most popular birds which have been voted for the by the public are the robin, kingfisher, barn owl, blue tit, wren, blackbird, puffin, mute swan, red kite and hen harrier.

óé?ń?úí?????????10??×????ň???ńˇ??????????ü?ń,′??ń,???^,???úé???,???ó,?-??,????,????ěě?ě,???°?í°×????.

Mr Lindo said: "Along with the expected contenders - the friendly robin, charismatic puffin and elegant swan - there is one major surprise, the hen harrier, one of England's rarest breeding birds.

á?????éú??????"?yá??¤á?????????????????ó????×???????ü?ń,??ó?÷?á???????,???óó?????ěě?ě??ía,?aíaé?°ń????ó?ó??ú×???ó????ń??????,°×????."

"Down to just one breeding pair a couple of years ago, it may already be extinct. Could the majestic hen harrier knock the hot favourite robin off its perch?"

"?y???°°×????????????ˇ?óy?ó′ú,???ü????.×???í?????°×?????üˇń??????×??ü??°??????ü?ń?÷????????"

Although Mr Lindo says he is supposed to remain impartial he claims his vote would go to the blackbird whose birdsong reminds him of growing up and "lazy, hazy sunny days".

á?????éú????????ó??????????y,????×?????í??????-??,?ň???-??????é?????????á?×????é?¤???????í????"?á?ó?ó,?í?é?é,ěě????????×ó".

The final round of voting forBritain's National Bird Campaign closes on May 7, the day of the general election.

ó??ú?ú?ń??????×??ó????í???????óú5??7??,????′ó????ěě.

Mr Lindo said he will be speaking to the Government once the public has voted to see if the winner can officially be made Britain's national bird.

á?????éú???ě??????ó??????-éě?????????ú?ü??ˇń?ü???y???é??ó??ú?ú?ń.