Will the British bird be a redbreast or a blue tit?

The magpie: 'Loud, cocky, bit of a geezer, always on the lookout for something to nick … Perfectly British.' Photograph: Pat Bonish /Alamy

Britain’s national bird (G2, 16 March)? Forget the kingfisher, mute swan or hen harrier, it has to be a magpie; loud, cocky, bit of a geezer, always on the lookout for something to nick, it fills its nest with cheap, gaudy tat and predates on its smaller neighbours. Perfectly British.
Alan Reynolds
Smethwick

• As the selection of a British bird will end on election day, we have to be ready for all outcomes. Obviously, the robin (redbreast) will be Labour’s choice; the blue tit Tory; the yellowhammer Lib Dem; and the greenfinch for the Greens. Ukip pose more of a problem as all our birds are European. How about the pied wagtail? They do see things in black and white.
Nigel Agar  
Hitchin, Hertfordshire