Breeding birds: 19 – 44 pairs
Wintering birds: 400
Family: Old World Flycatchers
Adult male black redstarts have slate-grey upperparts, with darker markings on the wings. The flight feathers are dark grey with white edges that form a white patch when the wings are closed. The rump and tail are rusty-orange and the upper tail feathers are black with rust edges.
On the underparts, the belly and flanks are slate-grey, the lower belly and undertail feathers are rust, and the breast and throat are black.
The crown and nape are grey, while the face is black, with rictal bristles that surround the bill. The eyes and bill are black, as are the legs and feet.
Female black redstarts are a duller brown-grey colour, with dark brown wings. The underparts are light grey, and the rump, vent, and undertail are rust but paler than the male’s. On the head, the cheeks and ear coverts are brown.
Juvenile black redstarts are similar to females, but are slightly darker overall and they have scaling on the throat and breast.
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Black redstarts nest in holes and cavities in rocks and walls or sometimes in piles of stones on the ground. The female constructs a cup-shaped nest from grass, moss, wool, hair and feathers.
Black redstarts lay 4-6 white eggs that are incubated for 12-13 days by the female alone. Chicks leave the nest after about 12-17 days but are unable to fly for several days and stay near the nest.
Black redstarts have a varied diet feeding mainly on invertebrates such as grasshoppers, flies, ants, beetles, spiders, insects, worms and snails. They will also eat fruit, berries and seeds.
Black redstarts can be found during breeding season in urban areas in London, Birmingham, Sheffield Nottingham, Manchester, Ipswich, and Liverpool.
During spring migration they can be found all over the UK but are most likely to be spotted along the coast. And on return passage in autumn they are numerous in Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly.
Black redstarts began colonizing Britain after World War II, when heavy bombing in London and other cities gave them a plethora of potential nest sites.
One Response
Seen male.adult in my urban, sw coastal garden this November 2025. Possibly 2 of them. Previously seen either Juvenile or Females (spring and autumn) for 2 years in a row.