Why is a Robin Redbreast, not called a Robin Orangebreast? As a Robin’s underpart is actually coloured Orange!

Ian Thompson

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The question as in the title of the thread!
Why is a Robin Redbreast not called a Robin Orangebreast? As a Robin’s underparts are actually coloured orange and not red! Answer here! And this is absolutely true!
 
Probably because 'orange' is a relatively-recently named colour, but as far as Robins' breasts go there's natural variation and many I see are red.
 
Orange as a colour and a name came from the Tudor period I believe after we started importing them from Spain?
 
The question as in the title of the thread!
Why is a Robin Redbreast not called a Robin Orangebreast? As a Robin’s underparts are actually coloured orange and not red! Answer here! And this is absolutely true!

I love facts like this!

Robin Redbreast flows so much better than Robin Orangebreast though so lucky break for the Robin, as a Robin Orangebreast would not have been able to cash in and rise to the popular heights and wealth of the Robin Redbreast, who's been raking it in for centuries as (red) bird of choice for Christmas cards, Christmas decorations and all-round red-related Christmas paraphernalia.

No wonder the one in our garden acts so smug and entitled.
 
Why is red cabbage purple?
White wine is green
Blueberries purple
Golden delicious are green (and rotten, they should be called green stinkers)
 
Same applies to red squirrels, which if you are lucky enough to see one, are clearly orange not red.
 
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There's a bird called the blue footed booby, I'd heard the name before I saw one. Did not expect it to have bright blue feet, I expected a tint of blue and looking purple-ish
 
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There's a bird called the blue footed booby, I'd heard the name before I saw one. Did not expect it to have bright blue feet, I expected a tint of blue and looking purple-ish
Have you seen what the testicles of Vervet monkeys look like?

1647126307692.png
 
Why are bald eagles called bald eagles when they clearly have feathers on their heads. They should be called the yellow beaked eagles with the staring eyes..........

eagle.jpg



Bron Goch, boys bach, Bron Goch in the language of heaven.

DSC_6208_01.JPG
 
No wonder the one in our garden acts so smug and entitled.
I have one that sits on the fence looking smug as it looks down at the sparrows pecking away at the seeds I have scattered. You can almost hear him thinking 'muppets I am off for a photo shoot for a 2023 Christmas card, lunch of fresh worms included. 😃😃
 
I wonder how they described ‘orange’ as a color before the importation of the fruit 🤔

‘Red-with-a-dash-of-yellow’?
‘Warm red’?
‘Yellowish red?’
‘Yellowy-red’?
‘That color that’s opposite blue on the color wheel thingamy’?
 
Because in the olde days it was all black and white so orange looked red. It was only identified as a distinct colour when colour tv was invented, and then only visible with the correct license.
 
The question as in the title of the thread!
Why is a Robin Redbreast not called a Robin Orangebreast? As a Robin’s underparts are actually coloured orange and not red! Answer here! And this is absolutely true!

I'm sure this was on QI some years ago - looked for a clip on YouTube, but doesn't appear to have been uploaded
 
A bloke I worked with on a site a few years ago told me why robins are fearless around people but I can't for the life of me remember what he said. He was a bit boring.
Anyone on here know ?
 
A bloke I worked with on a site a few years ago told me why robins are fearless around people but I can't for the life of me remember what he said. He was a bit boring.
Anyone on here know ?

Here's an answer for you that explains why they see humans as non-threatening, helpful friends. From the link:
When robins live in the wild in woods or forests they are known to follow large mammals, such as wild boar or deer, using their inbuilt curiosity to find new ways to find food. As the animals move around they disturb the ground bringing worms and insects to the surface which robins can easily forage on. In more urban areas robins are mimicking this behaviour by following humans, taking advantage of the freshly dug up soil to find food... in Britain, robins have co-existed with humans for many years and learned that there is no threat in being close to us.

 
Why is red cabbage purple?
White wine is green
Blueberries purple
Golden delicious are green (and rotten, they should be called green stinkers)
Red cabbage is a pH indicator, it's red in the presence of acid and blue in the presence of alcali. Strange white wine you drink, I'd say it's yellow rather than green!

I always call those apples Golden Revolting, I agree with you 100%.
 

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