Turdus iliacus
The Redwing, a charismatic member of the thrush family, is a small but hardy migratory passerine, instantly recognizable by its striking rufous-red flanks and underwing coverts, from which it derives its common name. Measuring approximately 20-24 cm (7.9-9.4 in) in length with a wingspan of 33-36 cm (13-14 in) and weighing 50-75 g (1.8-2.6 oz), its upperparts are uniformly brown, contrasting with a heavily streaked breast and belly on a pale background. A prominent pale supercilium and dark m...
Redwings breed primarily in open taiga, birch, and conifer forests, as well as moorland, typically at low to subalpine elevations. During winter, they favor open country, agricultural fields, parks, and gardens, often near scattered trees or hedgerows.
Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates, especially earthworms and insects, supplemented by a significant intake of berries and fallen fruit during autumn and winter. They forage primarily by probing the ground and gleaning from vegetation.
Redwings are largely diurnal, engaging in active foraging from dawn to dusk, often spending nights in communal roosts, particularly during winter. Their primary foraging strategy involves ground-feeding, where they hop and run across lawns and fields, probing soft soil for invertebrates; they als...
The Redwing boasts a vast breeding range across the northern Palearctic, stretching from Iceland and the Faroe Islands, through Scandinavia and northern Europe, across Siberia to northeastern Russia. Its wintering grounds are extensive, covering much of Western, Central, and Southern Europe, incl...
Least Concern
- Redwings undertake epic migrations, with some individuals traveling thousands of kilometers from Arctic breeding grounds to their wintering sites in southern Europe and North Africa. - The subspecies *Turdus iliacus coburni*, known as the Icelandic Redwing, is slightly larger and darker than th...