Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Robin voted UK's national bird
robin
Ornithologist David Lindo believes the UK should have a national bird like other countries.
Government asked to recognise the UK's first national bird

The robin has been voted the UK's favourite in a poll of more than 200,000 members of the British public.

Ornithologist David Lindo believes the UK should have a national bird like other countries, which is why he launched a poll in March this year.

More than 210,000 people voted online and thousands more sent in paper ballot forms, as well as the thousands of school children from hundreds of UK schools who voted.

Voting closed on the same day as the General Election and the results were finally announced last week.

Mr Lindo told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think the robin is totally entwined into our national psyche - it is the Christmas card pin-up and supposed gardeners' friend."

The other top 10 birds were:
2nd - Barn owl
3rd - Blackbird
4th - Wren
5th - Red kite
6th - Kingfisher
7th - Mute swan
8th - Blue tit
9th - Hen harrier
10th - Puffin

According to BBC News, Mr Lindo now plans to ask the government to recognise the robin as the UK's national bird.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.