Phoenicurus hodgsoni
The Hodgson's Redstart (*Phoenicurus hodgsoni*) is a strikingly beautiful passerine, a jewel of the high Himalayas and surrounding mountain ranges. Males exhibit a vibrant slate-grey head and back, contrasting sharply with a black face and throat, brilliant white wing patches, and a fiery rufous-red rump and tail. Females, while more subdued, possess a warm grey-brown plumage with a prominent rufous tail, providing a less conspicuous but equally elegant appearance. These medium-sized redstart...
This redstart primarily inhabits high-altitude subalpine and alpine scrub, rocky slopes, and open coniferous or rhododendron forests, often found near streams or water bodies. It breeds at elevations typically between 3,000 and 5,000 meters.
Their diet consists mainly of small invertebrates, including insects (beetles, flies, caterpillars, ants) and spiders, supplemented with some berries, especially during colder months. They primarily forage by aerial flycatching and ground gleaning.
Hodgson's Redstarts are active and restless birds, typically observed singly or in pairs, rarely forming larger flocks. They forage predominantly by flycatching from prominent perches, darting out to snatch insects in mid-air, but also glean invertebrates from the ground or vegetation. Males enga...
The Hodgson's Redstart has a broad but fragmented range across the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia. Its breeding grounds are primarily centered in the Himalayas, spanning from northern Pakistan eastward through Kashmir, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and into the Tibetan Plateau and central...
Least Concern
- The species was named after Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British naturalist and ethnologist who worked in Nepal and India during the 19th century. - Hodgson's Redstarts are altitudinal migrants, moving to lower elevations for winter rather than undertaking long-distance international migrations. -...