Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
欧亚红尾鸲
Introduction
Passerine bird in the genus Phoenicurus, formerly classified in the thrush family (Turdidae) but now placed in the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae). Breeds across most of Europe and western Asia east to Lake Baikal, also in northwest Africa (Morocco). Winters in central Africa and Arabia, south of the Sahara Desert but north of the Equator from Senegal east to Yemen. Inhabits open mature birch, oak, or conifer woodland with high horizontal visibility and low understorey, also found in orchards, villages, parks, and old gardens. Two distinctive traits are the frequently quivered orange-red tail and flycatching behavior with aerial sallies after insects. Conservation concerns exist due to significant population declines, particularly in England where numbers have fallen 55% over 25 years. In Ireland it is a very rare breeding species with only one to five pairs annually, nearly all in County Wicklow.
Description
A small slender passerine measuring 13-14.5 cm in length and weighing 11-23 g. The male in breeding plumage has a slate-grey head and upperparts with a white forehead and black sides of face and throat. The rump, tail, flanks, underwing coverts and axillaries are orange-chestnut; the central two tail feathers are dark brown while the remaining feathers are bright orange-red. The wings are grey-brown. In autumn, pale feather fringes obscure the male's colors, giving a washed-out appearance. The female is grey-brown above with buff-white or light orange underparts; most females have a whitish throat though some older females show a darker bib. The white outer webs of the remiges form a pale wing-patch in adult male P. p. samamisicus, and many females of this subspecies also show a less prominent light wing-patch. The bill and legs are black.
Identification
Among common European birds, only the black redstart shares a similarly colored orange-red tail. Adult males are distinguished from black redstarts by their slate-grey (not black) upperparts and white forehead. The male's white wing-patch formed by white outer webs of the remiges is similar to that seen in black redstart and Daurian redstart but is more prominent in P. p. samamisicus. Females are grey-brown above with buff-white or light orange underparts and typically have a whitish throat. The species shows affinity to the European Robin in habits and general carriage but is slightly slimmer.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds throughout most of Europe and western Asia east to Lake Baikal, also in northwest Africa (Morocco). The nominate subspecies P. p. phoenicurus occurs across Europe into Siberia, while P. p. samamisicus is found from the Crimean Peninsula and Greece through Turkey, the Caucasus, Middle East, and into Central Asia. Both subspecies intergrade in the southern Balkans and coastal Ukraine. Prefers open mature birch, oak, or conifer woodland with high horizontal visibility and low shrub cover, particularly where trees are old enough to have natural holes for nesting. Also uses orchards, parks, and old gardens in urban areas. In Britain it occurs primarily in upland areas less affected by agricultural intensification. Winters in central Africa and Arabia south of the Sahara but north of the Equator.
Behavior & Ecology
A summer visitor arriving in early to mid April, with males typically arriving a few days before females. Nests are built in cavities including natural tree holes and nestboxes; five or six light blue eggs are laid in May with a second brood in midsummer in southern parts of the range. Departs for Africa between mid-August and early October. Feeds primarily on winged insects using flycatching behavior with aerial sallies. Vocalizations include a rising, slightly disyllabic 'huid' call in central Europe, replaced by a monosyllabic 'heed' in southern Italy and the range of P. p. samamisicus; a third call variant exists on the Iberian peninsula. The male's song consists of soft melancholy strophes lasting 1-2 seconds with an introduction, repetitive part, and variable third part. May be parasitized by common cuckoos; surprisingly, redstart chicks do not suffer from sharing nests with cuckoo chicks and may even benefit from improved thermoregulation and food provision.
Conservation
Population has declined significantly in parts of its range, particularly in England where numbers have fallen 55% over the past 25 years due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss. In Ireland it is a very rare breeding species with only one to five pairs annually, nearly all in County Wicklow, and may not breed every year. The Forestry Commission offers grants under England's Woodland Improvement Grant scheme to support habitat improvement. Nests in cavities, so dead trees or those with dead limbs are beneficial; nestboxes are commonly used. A high cover of moss and lichen is also preferred.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Phoenicurus
- eBird Code
- comred2
Subspecies (2)
-
Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus
breeds Europe and North Africa to central Asia; winters to tropical Africa
-
Phoenicurus phoenicurus samamisicus
breeds Crimea and Caucasus to western Afghanistan; winters to northeastern Africa
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.