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This robin clearly thinks he’s Father Christmas!

Santa Robin photographed by Ian Wilson/BTO
Santa Robin photographed by Ian Wilson/BTO

A tiny robin with a white Father Christmas-like beard has overcome the odds and survived two freezing winters with its feathery friends.

The winged wonder, named Santa Robin after first being spotted by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in 2012, has lived through two winters in Derbyshire.

Santa Robin has his unusual beard-like plumage thanks to a condition called leucism, which causes a lack of pigmentation in some of the bird’s feathers.

What makes his survival remarkable isn’t his festive facial feathers, but the fact that only 40% of robins survive their first year.

Santa Robin’s survival is reflective of a bumper year for robins across the country, who have benefited from the relatively mild weather of 2014.

Clare Simm, from the BTO, said: “It is fantastic to hear that Santa Robin is still out there.

“Winter is a challenging time for robins as they struggle to find enough food to survive the cold nights.

“Gardens are important havens for them, but without help from our volunteers we won’t know how robins get on this winter.”

To help little birds like Santa Robin and the rest of his species survive the winter months email the BTO at gbw@bto.org to find out more.