Phoenicurus phoenicurus - Common Redstart
Feather characters. Barbules are extremely short (0.49-0.58 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and unpigmented internodes. Bell-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (36-40 per mm). They all are about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Villi are rounded and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are present on distal end of barbules and on both sides of the pennulum. Barbules have this typical structure for Passeriformes; pigmented, bell-shaped nodes combined with rounded villi.
Field characters. Size 14 cm. Weight: male 14.7 g (10.0-19.0), female 14.5 g (9.0-21.0) (Dunning, 1993). Resembles Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochrurus, not included in BRIS) in structure and size. Male slate grey on upperparts, with white forehead, black face, chin and throat, somewhat browner wings, orange breast, buff belly, white undertail, and orange rump and tail. Central tail feathers darker. Female grey-brown on upperparts, white with orange wash on underparts; tail orange like male. Distinct pale eye-ring. Juvenile resembles juvenile Robin but with reddish tail. Trills with tail, as Black Redstart.
Voice. Call 'huwiet', like a leafwarbler, and 'hwiet tac'. Song variable, sometimes resembling Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca, not included in BRIS), with loud warbling and scratching tones.
Distribution. Common summer visitor. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Inhabits open deciduous or coniferous woodland, parks, and gardens.
Food. Invertebrates and fruits. Invertebrates caught on ground or from perch. Also catches flying insects in flycatcher-way.