Phoenicurus ochruros
The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small, captivating passerine belonging to the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), typically measuring 14-16 cm in length with a wingspan of 23-26 cm and weighing 12-20 grams. Males are particularly striking, featuring sooty-black plumage over the head, breast, and upperparts, which sharply contrasts with a fiery rusty-red rump and tail that is characteristically quivered. Many males, especially in western subspecies, also display a promin...
Primarily found in rocky, mountainous areas, cliffs, and gorges, the Black Redstart has exceptionally adapted to urban and industrial environments, thriving in cities, ruins, quarries, and construction sites across a wide range of elevations.
The diet of the Black Redstart is predominantly insectivorous, consisting of a wide variety of invertebrates such as beetles, flies, ants, caterpillars, and spiders, supplemented with berries and small fruits, especially in autumn and winter; they primarily forage by ground gleaning and aerial ha...
Black Redstarts are diurnal and highly active, often observed perching prominently before darting to the ground or making short aerial forays to snatch insects. Their foraging strategy primarily involves ground gleaning and hawking, characterized by their constant, nervous tail-quivering which is...
The Black Redstart has an extensive Palearctic breeding range stretching across Europe from the Atlantic coast eastward through Central Asia and into western China. In Europe, its breeding distribution extends from the Iberian Peninsula north to parts of Scandinavia and Great Britain, though it i...
Least Concern
- The Black Redstart is one of the most successful urban bird species, thriving in cities, industrial areas, and even bombed-out ruins, earning it the nickname "house redstart. - Its distinctive song is often described as having a "crushed glass" or "jangling metallic" quality, interspersed with ...