Robin's colouring amiss

It is a Robin.

I agree Alf. Like the one I saw almost looked as if crossed with a chaffinch. there is a name for odd colouring or whiteness in birds (cannot remember, just that it begins with L) but wonder if it applies to dark markings.

I think this link explains it all quite well too Helen, I did touch on this question on the very recent blue tit thread (Worn out blue tits?) albeit very briefly.

So besides the extremes of all white or all black feathers, "normal plumage," colouration, if one can say that "can vary" from bird to bird even though it may be only very slight just as behaviour or indeed feather pattern can too. Although already saying that behaviour and feather pattern can vary more so as I have mentioned on other threads in the past, probable under the heading of hard and fast rules or something similar.

The common buzzard is but one example where the difference in plumage is very variable but if one is close enough this can be used to identify a particular bird. In other words two birds from the same species other than buzzards can have subtle head or body patterns too or not quite so subtle in their plumage if all that makes sense.

academy.allaboutbirds.org/how-birds-make-colorful-feathers/

Alan