Common Redstart

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Western oakwoods (summer).
Diet: Insects.
Best time to spot: Quivering orange tail.

When to look

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from April to September. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Common Redstart sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Black RedstartRare · Industrial sites
• Eastern Black RedstartEpic · Coastal cliffs (very rare race)
• Moussier's RedstartLegendary · Coast (extreme vagrant)
• European Pied FlycatcherUncommon · Western oakwoods (summer)
• Common Reed WarblerUncommon · Reedbeds (summer)
• Lesser WhitethroatUncommon · Hedges

Kit that helps

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