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REDSTART
| Characteristics: |
14 cm long and weighs between 14 and 19 g. The male has a slate grey back and orange-chestnut coloured underparts. It has a striking black face-mask bordered with a dash of white across the forehead; the rump and tail are bright rust-orange in colour. The female is much duller with a grey-brown back and yellowish-brown underparts, but has the same rusty tail and rump as the male. The Redstart is noted for its erect carriage, distinctive "curtseying" movement and the frequent quivering of its tail.
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| Call: |
Its contact call is a rising hweet or hweet tick tick. It has a pleasant sounding song which starts with an extended high note, then followed by shorter and deeper individual notes that often incorporate mimicries (imitations of other bird sounds).
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| Habitat: |
The Redstart is found in gardens, parks, orchards, bright deciduous, mixed and coniferous woodlands.
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| Distribution: |
The Redstart is a summer visitor to Central and Northern Europe, arriving in April and departing by October. It occurs throughout Britain but is rare and a localised breeder in Ireland. |
| Biology: |
The Redstart feeds on insects and their larvae and spiders. It nests in hollows including both tree hollows and cavities in brickwork or stonework. It also nests in roof beams and similar places. The clutch comprises between 5 and 7 bluish-greenish eggs. 2 broods a year are quite common with the first clutch from the beginning of May. |
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Bird Call
