Jolly frock-coated robins, majestic geese and arboreal partridges make for both literal and symbolic centrepieces at Christmas, says Matthew Dennison, as he revels in the cultural history of the season’s feathered fowl and game

Stefan Buczacki

THIS MONTH Barn owls

Keepers at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia have noticed a fashion trend spreading among groups of chimpanzees living there – sticking strands of grass in their ears or rectums, and just le

Nadia Shaikh seeks good company for a search-and-gorge to get her through the ruthless darkness of the winter months

Ivy flowers have gone over and now berries are starting to form. Avoid cutting these back and allow them to develop as a food source for birds. Ivy berries ripen in late winter and are often not eaten