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Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

 
 

InCommon Redstart   CaCotxa cua-roja   DaRødstjert   DeGartenrotschwanz   EsColirrojo real   Fileppälintu   FrRougequeue à front blanc   ItCodirosso   NlGekraagde Roodstaart   NoRødstjert   PtRabirruivo-de-testa-branca   SvRödstjärt   USCommon Redstart   RuОбыкновенная горихвостка

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male summer

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Identification

Male Redstarts are delightfully gaudy birds, especially when flashing their red tails, trying to attract their partner to a potential nest site. The eye-catching red tail separates the Redstart from all other small birds except the darker, duller Black Redstart. Even the dullest female Redstarts have a pale throat and hints of orange in their underparts, unlike Black Redstarts.

Habitat

Breeds mostly in deciduous woods, but also on heaths, parkland and moorland edges.

Behaviour

When a male has attracted a female to a territory he sometimes performs a display in which he crouches down facing her with his wings raised and tail partly fanned to show the red colour of the tail and underwing. He also carries out various displays to show off potential nest sites to the female. These usually involve perching in or near the nest hole displaying either the white forehead or the vivid red tail and often singing at the same time.

Migration

A migratory bird that winters in sub-Saharan Africa and south-west Arabia.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

show section BirdGuides rarity status: Common

hide section Most recent UK and Irish reports of Common Redstart

  15:24 11/11/09 Common Redstart Herts Letchworth 14:50 
  16:22 05/11/09 Common Redstart Devon Bampton  
  20:19 01/11/09 Common Redstart Norfolk Walcott 10:30 
  19:06 27/10/09 Common Redstart Donegal Arranmore Island   
  13:15 27/10/09 Common Redstart Dorset Weymouth   
  16:02 24/10/09 Common Redstart Lothian Torness Power Station   
  13:25 24/10/09 Common Redstart Orkney Burray   
  18:25 23/10/09 Common Redstart Fife Kilrenny   
  17:43 23/10/09 Common Redstart Dorset Lodmoor RSPB   
  22:04 14/10/09 Common Redstart Norfolk Thornham Point   

hide section Most recent photos of Common Redstart (10)

show section European breeding populations (41)

show section Products featuring Common Redstart (14)

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http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob11220.htm http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob11220.htm   BTO BirdFacts: Common RedstartEdit this link Edit this link
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hide section Articles (1)

BTO: Eastern visitors arrive <i>en masse</i> BTO: Eastern visitors arrive en masse BTO: Eastern visitors arrive en masseSaturday 20th September 2008
After the recent influx of Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers - where are they now?  read on read on

BirdGuides webzine BirdGuides webzine

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