Common Redstart

The common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) is a small passerine bird in the old world flycatcher family, with a range that spans across Europe and Asia. Adult males have a striking black face, white forehead, and red breast. The back is grey, and the tail is a vivid red. Females and juveniles are duller, with brown upperparts and less pronounced red tails. This species typically measure 13-14.5 cm in length, with a wingspan of 20-23 cm, and weigh around 11-23 grams. The common redstart is similar to the black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) but the black redstart is darker, have a black breast, and the red coloration is only found on the tail and rump.

The common redstart favors open deciduous forests, orchards, parks, and gardens for breeding. Outside the breeding season, it can be found in more open habitats, including scrublands and agricultural fields. This species is insectivorous, feeding primarily on a variety of insects and their larvae, spiders, and berries. It catches its prey on the ground or in mid-air, often from a low perch. Its preference for areas with a mixture of low vegetation and scattered trees or bushes allows it to perch and forage effectively. 

Common redstarts are migratory birds, breeding across Europe and the western Palearctic, and wintering across the Sahel region, just south of the Sahara, from West to East Africa. Their migration covers longs distances, with birds leaving their breeding grounds in August and September and returning in March and April. These long migration routes highlight the importance of various stopover sites along their migratory paths.

Breeding usually begins in late April or May. The Common Redstart is monogamous, with pairs forming shortly after the males return to their breeding territories. Nests are built by the female in natural cavities, old woodpecker holes, or even in man-made structures. A typical clutch consists of 5-6 eggs, which are incubated primarily by the female for about 12-14 days. The fledglings leave the nest about 16-17 days after hatching but remain dependent on their parents for several more weeks. 

The common redstart is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List, thanks to its wide distribution and stable population size. However, like many migratory birds, it faces threats from habitat loss and degradation, both in its breeding and wintering ranges, as well as along migration routes.