science

Old Blue (robin)

Old Blue (robin) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Old Blue (robin) rather than just read about it. In short: Old Blue was a Chatham Island robin (also known as black robin) who at one time was the only fertile female of the species left, and who has been credited with being the saviour of her species. She lived for approximately 13 years.

Key takeaways

Old Blue (robin) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Old Blue (robin) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Old Blue (robin) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Old Blue was a Chatham Island robin (also known as black robin) who at one time was the only fertile female of the species left, and who has been credited with being the saviour of her species. She lived for approximately 13 years.

History In 1979, there were just five of the Chatham Island robins left. By the time the Wildlife Service intervened in 1980, she was the only female capable of laying fertile eggs. From her, the species was saved. She is the ancestor of all living black robins, and lived from 1970 to 1983. In 1983, she was moved to Rangatira Island so that the other breeding female, Old Green (who was not directly related to her), would have a chance to produce offspring and the remaining genetic diversity could be preserved. However, none of Old Green's offspring survived to the stage where they could breed. This resulted in Old Green's genes being lost. Through Old Blue's breeding period, she managed to raise eleven chicks. All of the black robins today are descended from Old Blue and male Old Yellow. By early 2013, the Chatham Island robin population was approximately 250. As of 2021, the population was approximately 300. A book about her, Old Blue: The Rarest Bird in the World by Mary Taylor, won an award in 1994 for the Best Children's Non-fiction Title at New Zealand's National Book Awards.

Memorial A plaque dedicated to her is situated at the Chatham Islands Airport. She is also the only bird to have its death officially announced in a government parliament.

Film Seven Black Robins – Produced by Michael Stedman, 1981

Songs In 1994, singer / songwriter Martin Curtis recorded "Yellow and Blue", a song celebrating the remarkable story of Old Blue and Old Yellow and the revival of the Chatham Islands robin. It has since been since re-released on the album The Sound of the Warning.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Old Blue (robin)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Old Blue (robin) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Old Blue (robin) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Old Blue (robin) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Old Blue (robin)

In research: Old Blue (robin) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Old Blue (robin) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Old Blue (robin) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1970 animal births, 1983 animal deaths, Bird conservation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Old Blue (robin) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Old Blue (robin) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Old Blue (robin) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Old Blue (robin) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Old Blue (robin) in simple terms?

Why does Old Blue (robin) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Old Blue (robin)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Old Blue (robin).