A bird with a fiery tail: the common redstart!

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Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Appearance. In the male, the top of the head and back are ash-gray, the forehead is white, the sides of the head and throat are black, the wings are brown, sometimes with a white spot, the abdomen is bright red. The female is brownish-gray, the abdomen and throat are light.

Vote. (Reload the page - F5 to listen to the voice again). The song is a resounding trill, beginning with “iiiit-tete-tete”, ending with a dry rustle similar to the sound of crumbling pebbles, the cry is a loud “fuit-tik-tik”. He starts singing long before sunrise.

Habitat. Common in light forests, gardens and parks.

Food. It feeds mainly on insects, sometimes berries.

Nesting places. It nests in light forests with an abundance of clearings, gardens, parks, villages. It is often found in clearings.

Location of the nest. It nests in natural hollows or hollows of large species of woodpeckers (black and great variegated), in narrow cracks behind a loose cornice or wall cladding of a house, barn, bathhouse, in woodpiles of firewood in fresh forest clearings and among the upturned roots of a fallen tree. The nest is always hidden or covered.

Building material of the nest. Nest is built from dry, often soaked stalks of herbaceous plants, wood fibers, with admixture of leaves, moss and pieces of bark. All material is laid loosely, randomly. The litter consists of wool, feathers and leaf pieces.

The shape and size of the nest. The bowl-shaped nest is rather sloppy. Nest diameter 110 mm, nest height 90 mm, average tray diameter 60 mm, tray depth 40-70 mm.

Features of masonry. Clutch consists of 5-7, sometimes 8-9 eggs of pure blue color. Egg sizes: (17-19) x (13-14) mm.

Breeding dates. Arrives in late April - early May. Full clutches appear in mid-May, and young birds emerge by mid-June. At the end of this month, redstarts begin their second nesting. The flight starts at the end of August.

Spread. Distributed almost everywhere south of the tundra zone from the western borders of Russia to the Yenisei, in Cisbaikalia.

Wintering. Flies to Africa for the winter in September.

Description of Buturlin. Several genera of blackbirds (redstart, robin, nightingale, bluethroat) sometimes unite in a special subfamily of redstart.

All these birds have a thin beak with few perioral setae, large bulging eyes and slightly rounded wings. They have high, thin legs and a steep body stance. The tail is small, in many it is painted in reddish or rusty tones and is very mobile. The color of the plumage of most species is bright, with a good distinction between males and females. The chicks have very variegated plumage.

Some species of redstart living in mountainous areas associate this group of forest and shrub birds with wheatears. Among the redstart there are wonderful singers (nightingale, bluethroat). Like thrush, these insectivorous birds willingly eat berries in autumn.

Species descriptions taken from Keys to birds and bird nests in central Russia (Bogolyubov A.S., Zhdanova O.V., Kravchenko M.V. Moscow, "Ecosystem", 2006).

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The common redstart is one of the most beautiful birds. However, only the male can boast of luxuriously colored plumage. The female's outfit is poorer, but she also has the same bright brown tail. Bird report with video and photo

Squad - Passerine

Family - Blackbirds

Genus / Species - Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Common redstart, she is garden redstart, she is also redstart-coot

Basic data:

Wingspan: 20-24 cm.

Puberty: per year.

Breeding period: May-July.

Carrying: 2 per year.

Number of eggs: 6-7.

Incubation: 14 days.

Feeding chicks: 12-15 days.

Habits: Redstarts (see photo of the bird) sing while sitting on the tops of trees.

Food: insects, berries.

Sounds: ringing trills, alarming whistle "fu-fu".

Life Expectancy: 9 years.

Of the 10 species of redstart, besides the common garden redstart, the black redstart is widespread.

Redstart most often other relatives are found in the description of species from the order of passerines of the flycatcher family. In total, redstarts include 13 species that inhabit India, China, and many Asian countries. The main differences between birds are in the original color of the plumage. Everyone is united by a fragile physique, an awl-shaped beak.

Common redstart

For Russia, the habitat of redstarts is characteristic:

gray-headed (ordinary),
black redstart,
garden,
Siberian,
red-bellied,
redstart-coots.

Gray-headed (common) redstart. Luxurious plumage, orange and black, is inherent in males. The white forehead gave the name to the species. A beautiful bird cannot be confused with anyone; sonorous singing is inherent in it. The redstart lives in northwestern Africa, a vast part of Eurasia.

Gray-headed redstart

Black Redstart. A small bird, smaller than a sparrow, the mass of an individual is only 14-18 grams. The male has black plumage of the forehead, cheeks, neck, the upper part of the body is gray, the tail is orange with black specks.

Redstart female more uniform in color, undertail and upper tail, like in a male, red tones. Birds live in the mountainous landscapes of Asia and Europe. They love rocky niches, cliffs, pebble slopes.

Black redstart

In cities, birds are attracted by industrial zones with factory chimneys, scaffolding. We noticed black redstart gathering in groups on the domes of churches. Chernushki singing is rough, hoarse, with multiple repetitions.

The redstart is garden. A bright bird, the top of which is ashy, the forehead, throat, wings are partially black, the abdomen is white. Bright red plumage adorns the chest, sides, tail. There is a white speck on the forehead. Females are more modest in color, although rusty-red edges also adorn the gray outfit.

Garden redstart female

Favorite habitat - in the trees of old parks, orchards. Inhabits redstart bird in coniferous, mixed forests with thickets of shrubs. The songs of the garden dweller are euphonic, sonorous. Bird watchers note a tendency to imitate other people's trills, for which they call her a mockingbird.

Siberian redstart. The color resembles an ordinary (gray-headed) representative of the species, but the white spot is not present on the head, but on the wings.The name of the bird reflects the habitat. Found in the south of Siberia, in the Amur region. Builds nests under the roofs of houses, in the hollows of old trees, in the cracks of rocky cliffs.

Siberian redstart

Red-bellied redstart. Among relatives, the bird is larger in size. The color resembles the Siberian species, but the plumage is brighter. Redstart male with a reddish-red breast and white spots on the sides on the wings. The female has no light spots. In Russia, it is found in the mountains of the Central Caucasus, South Siberia. Favorite habitat - in thickets of sea buckthorn, river willow.

Red-bellied redstart

Redstart coot. A small bird, very mobile and melodious. Bright color, slender build and lively disposition draw attention to the inhabitants of parks, gardens, forest wilderness.

Redstart coot

Constant shaking of the red tail, high legs, frequent flights are inherent in the coot. The bird got its name for a white spot on its forehead. Singing redstart sonorous, beautiful, with elements of imitation at the end. The early songs of the bald at dawn are sometimes confused with nightingale trills.

Listen to the voice of the redstart coot

Where did the name "redstart" come from?

The bright red color of the tail served as a wire to it. The name Phoenicurus consists of two Greek words "phoenix" and "oura" literally translated from Greek as "purple or carmine tail."

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF HORIKHOSTKA. DESCRIPTION

Female: in comparison with the male, it is colored less brightly. The tail is bright red, the rest of the plumage is brown.

Male: the back is ash-gray, the chest, belly, sides and tail are rusty-red, the throat and cheeks are black. The bright red tail and white forehead play an important role during the performance of the ritual dance.

Eggs: in clutch 6-7 bluish, sometimes covered with brown specks of eggs.

- Nesting places
- Wintering places

WHERE DIVES

The redstart nests throughout Europe except in Ireland, as well as in northern Africa, Siberia and Asia Minor. Winters in West and East Africa.

PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION

In most parts of the European range, the population of the redstart is declining. The reason may be a prolonged drought in the redstart's wintering grounds.

Lifestyle

Ordinary hotwax. Moscow suburbs

It feeds mainly on insects, sometimes (in cold weather) on berries, so the arrival and departure of the redstart directly depends on the availability of food. Closer to April, when it gets warm, birds gradually populate their areas. At this time, they sing all daylight and even at night. Their song is very clean and beautiful, but they sing little. At the beginning of July, you can hardly hear them. Moulting of birds occurs in July - August. At the end of August - beginning of September they fly to Africa and South Arabia for the winter.

Reproduction and life expectancy

The spring arrival of redstarts for nesting occurs in mid-April. First, males appear, followed by young animals, females are the last to reach. The task of the males is to find the best corner for the future nest. A struggle begins between the males in the capture of cozy places. The male marks his territory, protects, calls the female with inviting songs in a high place.

Redstart eggs

For future nests, birds choose old hollows, thick tree branches, voids between protruding roots, niches in woodpiles, secluded places behind the cladding of buildings. Shallow caves and attics also attract secretive redstart.

Pieces of bark, dry twigs, leaves, threads found by birds, ropes, pieces of cloth, scraps of paper become the building material. The rookery inside is lined with moss, pieces of wool, cotton wool, feathers. The nest is always covered from the outside by a canopy, branches, hidden from prying eyes. Hide is usually discovered by accident, it is so well disguised.

In May - early June, the formation of the nest is completed. Interestingly, neither noise, nor human proximity, nor smells interfere with an important stage in bird life. Soon a clutch of 5-8 bluish eggs is formed. It is mainly the female who is engaged in incubating the future offspring. The male occasionally replaces her during this period.The incubation of eggs lasts up to 2 weeks.

When the chicks hatch, the concerns of the parents increase many times over. For 2-3 weeks, they continuously hunt and bring food to the insatiable chicks. Redstarts are caring parents.

Redstart eggs

It is no coincidence that cuckoos toss their eggs into their nests. Each redstart chick fed, even if he turned out to be a foundling. Caring for cuckoos is the same as for native birds.

Feeding the young lasts even after the first flight of chicks from the nest. Anxious parents show concern until the offspring firmly stand on the wing and begin to wander through the forest on their own in search of food. Only after this does the family break up. This process usually lasts for a month.

During the season, the redstarts manage to start a new clutch of eggs a second time and go through the parental path again with the same touching care for the brood. Young animals reach sexual maturity by the first year of life.

Redstart chicks

Favorable conditions allow redstarts to live for 7-9 years. There is a known case of record longevity - 9.5 years. Being in captivity often shortens their existence. It is noticed that these birds are very freedom-loving.

In 2015, the redstart, as one of the most widespread birds in need of human care, was declared the Bird of the Year in Russia. Preserving the species diversity and number of birds is a common task for nature lovers.

WHERE DIVES

In Europe, the redstart lives in light mixed forests, and in Africa and Asia Minor it also inhabits mountain forests. She leaves stony places and rocks near mountain meadows to a close relative - the black redstart.

In some gardens, both species of these birds coexist. Among the redstart's favorite places of residence are old parks and alleys, where there are many old hollow trees. In Berlin, redstarts populate city parks, gardens and cemeteries. Today, urban populations of redstart outnumber those in suburban forests. At the end of August, redstarts begin to prepare to fly to warm Africa. Winter is spent in sub-Saharan countries.

Food

Common Redstart / Phoenicurus phoenicurus / Redstart

The redstart feeds exclusively on insects - flies, mosquitoes, beetles, caterpillars, spiders. They are also not averse to eating berries - currants, elderberries and raspberries. In autumn and winter, redstarts pay great attention to fruits and seeds. If you keep the redstart at home, then it is worth feeding both live and surrogate food.

Nesting

The nests are set up in closed and inaccessible places. At the same time, the nests are constructed in a sloppy manner and are bowl-shaped. To build the redstart, a variety of dry stems of herbaceous plants, wood fibers with an admixture of leaves, moss and pieces of bark are used. After that, a litter is established in the nest, consisting of wool, feathers and pieces of leaves. The dimensions of such a nest are small: diameter - 110 mm, height - 90 mm, tray diameter on average 90 mm, tray depth 40-70 mm.

In addition, special man-made houses for redstarts are often found in the forests. However, the house should be made only of high quality material suitable for birds. It is best to use skipped boards for this - a slab or edged, the thickness of which is 2-2.5 cm. In this case, the board should be planed only from the outside of the house.

It is better to make a house of the optimal size:

height - 20-25 cm
bottom - 12 to 12
the internal area of the bottom is 15-20 sq. cm
patch diameter - 3-4 cm
distance from the bottom of the taphole to the bottom - 10-12 cm
from the top of the taphole to the ceiling - 4-5 cm

It is also worth remembering that redstarts are partial to rhombic houses, so you can mount them at an angle. In addition, in the summer, the house is directed to the west or south, the main thing is not towards the wind.

Redstarts are also kept at home. They live well in cells. However, keeping several redstarts in one cage at once is not recommended, because they fight, often until the death of an opponent.

OBSERVATIONS OF HORIKHOVOSTKA

Redstart often nests next to nuthatch or titmouse. She willingly lays eggs in specially prepared nesting houses. The higher her house in the garden is located, the more chances of successful breeding of the bird, of course, provided that there is a sufficient amount of food in the area. Gardeners rejoice when these insectivorous birds appear on their plots. The "friendship" of people with the redstart is of great benefit to them. After all, the bird saves the gardens from various insect pests: grasshopper beetles, bedbugs, caterpillars, leaf beetles and mosquitoes.

Interesting Facts

The redstart is a lone bird and prefers to do everything on its own and mostly keeps a distance from each other. Birds can congregate in groups if there is a large accumulation of insects in some place. The bird does not really like sunbathing and water procedures.

We offer you to watch the amazing video "Birds of Russia, Redstart Nigella from egg to chick."

And now, the video - “Ornithotherapy or bird song treatment. Singing redstart. "

Air travel

The redstart lives in many countries. Most often found in Southeast Asia, practically throughout Europe, as well as in China, India and Russia. However, in the fall, most of them go to winter in the southern parts of the Arabian Islands and Africa.

Redstart Brateevo. Maryino. Video (00:00:24)

The common redstart is not numerous in Moscow. Flies to Africa and South Arabia for the winter. In Brateevo and Maryino she is seen very rarely and not far from housing.
In summer we observed redstart nests in vacant lots near Verkhniye Polye Street.
Once, in a warm winter, several Redstarts were seen on the same vacant lots.

Redstart. Video (00:01:45)

The Redstart is a very beautiful songbird with a bright orange breast, contrasting black and white plumage on its head and an orange tail. Arrived in the city in early May. Sits high in the trees and sings. From time to time it flies from one branch to another. May 2014.

Genus Redstart

The genus of the Redstart - Phoenicurus - medium-sized birds, have a body length of 13.5-16 cm. Coloring is a combination of red, black, brown and white colors: the tail of most species is red (hence the name), males are colored brighter than females.

The genus of redstart includes 10 species, distributed in Europe, Asia and North Africa. They live in forests, gardens, bushes, along river banks, and settle near human habitations. Northern - migratory birds living in the mountains - migrate in winter to the valleys. Nests in hollows, rock crevices, on the ground under bushes. Food - insects, berries. On the territory of the former USSR there are 6 species: garden redstart, nigella, Siberian redstart, red-backed redstart and others.

Includes types:
* Alashan Redstart - Phoenicurus alaschanicus
* Blue-capped Redstart - Phoenicurus caeruleocephal)
* White-winged Redstart - Phoenicurus erythrogastrus
* Blue-fronted Redstart - Phoenicurus frontalis
* Hogson's Redstart - Phoenicurus hodgsoni
* White-chinned Redstart - Phoenicurus schisticeps
* Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus
* Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochrurus
* Redstart Moussier - Phoenicurus moussieri
* Daurian Redstart - Phoenicurus auroreus
* Redstart Redstart - Phoenicurus erythronotus

Phoenicurus phoenicurus Linnaeus

Phoenicurus ochruros Gmelin S.G.

Redstart redstart
Phoenicurus erythronotus Eversmann

Siberian redstart
Phoenicurus auroreus Pallas

Redstart red-bellied
Phoenicurus erythrogaster Guldenstadt

Redstart brownie

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