| A plump bird, slightly smaller than a Robin, with a short
tail. The male is more colourful than the female especially in the breeding
season when it sports a black head, orange-red breast and big white blobs
on the sides of its neck. The head of the male moults after breeding with
the new feathers having brownish tips; these wear away revealing a new
black head in time for the next breeding season. Both sexes have brown
upper-parts but the female does not have the black head, her breast is
not so orange and her white patches are less distinct. The young are similar
to the female but duller. They feed on insects, seeds and berries and
can commonly be seen around the coast of Devon and Cornwall or amongst
gorse covered heath. |
