An elegant, robin-sized chat, the redstart is a summer visitor, arriving here in April and leaving in September. It feeds on insects, especially butterfly and beetle larvae, and can be seen foraging in woodlands, hedgerows, parks and beside streams. Redstarts have an upright stance and can be seen 'bobbing': moving in a similar fashion to Robins. They spend most of their time in the trees.
How to identify
Male redstarts are grey above, with a red breast, black throat, long, black legs, and a long, red tail. The similar-looking black redstart is a dark, sooty grey and red tail, and is a rare nesting bird that frequents city centres and industrial areas, rather than woodlands.
Did you know?
Redstarts are named after their red tail, which they frequently 'shiver'.
