Flycatchers and chats · Perching birds
Common Redstart
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Phoenicurus phoenicurus
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Voice
Song
Song
Call
How to recognize it
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13–14.5 cm long
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Frequent tail flicks; tail orange-red
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Adult male in summer: grey head and back, white forehead, black face and throat; orange-red rump and tail
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Female grey-brown above, buff-white or light orange below
About the species
In spring, the male’s slate-grey head and back contrast with a white forehead and black face and throat, while his flanks and tail are orange-chestnut. The tail’s two central feathers are dark, leaving the bright outer feathers clear when it flicks. Females are grey-brown above and buff-white to light orange below, with an orange-red tail.
The tail flicks repeatedly, then the redstart pauses. It darts after passing insects in short flights, and the male sings soft, brief phrases built around a repeated section. In central Europe, its contact call rises on a “huid,” often paired with sharp ticking alarm notes.
It spends spring and summer in open, mature woodland, orchards, villages, parks and older gardens, nesting in tree holes. Insects make up most of its food, with berries sometimes taken in cold weather. After breeding, it travels to central Africa and Arabia for winter, returning in spring.
Where to find
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In old city parks and gardens with mature trees, listen in spring for the male's soft, melancholy song.
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In mature, open woodland with sparse undergrowth, watch for quick sallies after passing insects.
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In village gardens, watch adults slip into nesting cavities in old trees or behind house cladding during the breeding season.
