France in Focus

I know this isn't really gardening but I didn't know where else to ask.
Has anyone else seen a scarlet chested robin in France? It definitely was one hopping along our terrace one metre outside the window. I am in the Aude but reading up on it they are found in Australia. Beautiful clear markings but by the time I sorted out taking a photo it had flown up into a bush.

Sure it wasn't a "Bullfinch" if it was a Robin it could be an escapee.

No not a bullfinch. Absolutely a scarlet robin. I think you must be right about it being an escapee. It was quite happy out there in the garden. I'll try and get a photo if it comes back

Could it have been a male Stonechat ? In the spring time, they have very strong nuptial colours, very attractive birds.
Here's a photo (and the website where I found it) where you can see their remarkable colouring :
https://rcannon992.com/2015/05/11/stone ... nderstood/

The female isn't nearly as striking, but the male has quite a similarity to the Scarlet Robin. Stonechats are frequent in our area in Spring and early summer.

This is it (not my photo). The white spot above the beak and the black bib were so clearly marked.

We have a lot of stonechate here from time to time, never seen one woth a white spot though but you do get aberations of colours in birds.

It's beautiful and certainly the red is very striking ! Your bird doesn't have the white collar of the stonechat either. Is Is it ringed ? It definitely sounds like an escapee, possibly illegally imported.

The clue would be if it was flying upsidedown.

Polarengineer wrote: ↑Sat Apr 02, 2022 7:21 pm The clue would be if it was flying upsidedown.

Yes the rare Australian inverted "Scarlet Robin"

There was a similar line of enquiry last year, I think, when someone photo'd some small Australian doves in their garden. I can't find the posts, but I wonder if there's a link, and the owners are having some bad luck with the cages?