Eastbourne’s American robin fundraiser reaches £2,000

The GoFundMe page, which is raising money for Eastbourne Foodbank, was started on Wednesday, February 9, following sightings of the bird.

On the page organiser Charlie Peverett is asking bird watchers who visited Eastbourne to give back to the town.

The fundraiser had raised more than £2,200, as of Tuesday, February 15, having smashed its original target of £500.

Mr Peverett said, “The first American robin ever seen in Sussex has turned up on the edge of Eastbourne, where it’s finding food and shelter alongside the local blackbirds and song thrushes.

“If you have travelled to enjoy this bird, please consider giving a donation to Eastbourne Foodbank which supports people around the city who are struggling to feed themselves and their families.”

According to the Sussex Ornithological Society, when the American robin was first seen on Tuesday, February 7, it was its first sighting in the county.

The rare American robin brought large crowds of bird watchers to the town, including one man from Lothian, Scotland who said he drove eight and a half hours one way to see it.

The fundraiser’s target has now been raised to £2,500.