Black redstart

Black redstart (male)
Black redstart (male)
Black redstart (female / juvenile)
Black redstart (female / juvenile)

Black redstart song

Niels Krabbe, Xeno-canto

Key information

The black redstart is a small robin-sized bird that has adapted to live at the heart of industrial and urban centres. Its name comes from the plumage of the male, which is grey-black in colour with a red tail.

With fewer than 100 breeding pairs in the UK, the black redstart is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. Is is also listed as a Schedule 1 species on The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

What they eat:

Insects, spiders, worms, berries and seeds.

Measurements:

Length:
14.5cm
Wingspan:
23-26cm
Weight:
14-20g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
19-44 pairs
UK wintering:
400 birds

Identifying features:

This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.

Black redstart (male)

Male black redstart
Feather colour: Black Grey Orange Red White
Leg colour: Brown
Beak: Black Short Thin
Natural habitats: Farmland Marine and intertidal Urban and suburban

Black redstart (female / juvenile)

Illustration of a female black redstart
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Grey Orange Red
Leg colour: Brown
Beak: Black Short Thin
Natural habitats: Farmland Marine and intertidal Urban and suburban

Similar birds:

Male redstart
Redstart

Where and when to see them

Breeding birds occur mainly in urban areas of Greater London, Birmingham and the Black Country with a few pairs in Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Ipswich, and the odd pair at cliff sites and power stations along the south coast between Suffolk and Dorset.

There is a good spring passage of black redstarts through the UK and Ireland and they can turn up anywhere, but particularly at the coast. On return passage in autumn, they can be relatively numerous in places like the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall. In winter, a small number are found from Lancashire and Lincolnshire southwards, and along the south coast.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Black redstart distribution map

Breeding birds and spring passage migrants arrive between March and May. Autumn passage lasts from September to November, peaking in October. Wintering birds are present between late autumn and early spring.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

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